Tourism is the most superficial way of an intercultural encounter1 and one of the biggest industrial
sectors in the world. “The WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) estimates that
over 230 million jobs in world are supported by the tourism industry, which equates to 8.3 per
cent of total global employment, or one in every 12 jobs.”2 Furthermore, the latest statistics
from 2008 show that tourism has not reached its peak yet. Over 80 countries earned more
than € 642 billion through international tourism in 2008, while in 1990 it had only been € 207
billion.3 Another statistic representing and pointing up the booming tendency is the one showing
the international tourist arrivals: while there had only been 25 million arrivals in 1950, the
number constantly rose to 922 million in 2008 and by 2020 1.6 billion international tourist
arrivals are expected.4 With so many tourists spending time abroad every year it is a logical
consequence that different culture groups meet. From time to time, people may spend two
weeks in Turkey, Dubai, Cancun or on Bali. This unfortunately might happen without the
people even getting the local culture rudimentarily. But if they try to get to know the local culture,
difficulties may occur. It is not only the language which is different and causes troubles
and misunderstandings in communication; attitudes and the way people think vary greatly.
Tourists often do not prepare themselves properly for their stays abroad; just reading a travel
guide may not be sufficient at all. When going abroad people need to be aware of different
behavioural rules and patterns. But not only tourists have to face this problem. In the tourism
industry many people work abroad which not only leads to multicultural teams but also to
misunderstandings going back to cultural differences. These groups, both tourists and employees,
need to face their upcoming cultural communication challenges. Communication is
an important and indispensible commodity; especially in the tourism industry conversations
and interpersonal contact are trivial. Imagine a city tour or a checkout without a single word
spoken. According to scientific investigations on interpersonal communications in the economy,
managers spend 70% of their daily labour time with communicating.5 Due to the increasing
internationalisation and globalisation of the tourism industry, the effects of intercultural
relations on human resource management need to be taken into consideration.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Problem and Research Question
1.2 Research Objectives
1.3 Structure and Content
2. Culture and its Implications
2.1 Definition
2.2 Cultural Dimensions
2.2.1 Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s Cultural Dimensions
2.2.2 Hall’s Cultural Dimensions
2.2.3 Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
2.2.4 Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions
2.3 Cultural Differences
3. Communication and its Implications
3.1 Definition
3.2 Levels of Communication
3.2.1 Verbal Communication
3.2.2 Para-verbal Communication
3.2.3 Non-verbal Communication
3.3 Intercultural Communication
3.3.1 History and Development
3.3.2 Relevance
3.3.3 Barriers to Intercultural Communication
3.3.4 Intercultural Contact and Culture Shock
4. Cultural and Communicational Problems in the Tourism Industry
4.1 Surveys on Cultural Challenges occurring
4.1.1 Empiric Approach
4.1.2 Interviewees target group
4.2 Research results concerning Intercultural Communication
4.2.1 Analysis of the Employee – Employee Level
4.2.2 Interviewees of Survey 1
4.2.2.1 Attitude towards Work Flow
4.2.2.1.1 Team
4.2.2.1.2 Time
4.2.2.1.3 Business meetings
4.2.2.1.4 Communication
4.2.2.2 Motivation and Aims
4.2.2.3 Misunderstandings
4.2.3 Analysis of the Host – Tourist / Guest Level
4.2.3.1 Interviewees of Survey 2
4.2.3.2 Tourist Behaviour
4.2.3.3 Travel Motivation
4.2.3.4 Social Contact for the Tourist
4.2.3.5 Misunderstandings
5. Preventing Cultural Discrepancies in a Tourism Enterprise
5.1 Aims and Necessity of Compensation
5.2 Methods
5.2.1 Intercultural Training
5.2.1.1 Culture-Assimilator
5.2.1.2 Culture Awareness Training / Diversity Training
5.2.1.3 Contrast Culture Training
5.2.3 Intercultural Team-Building
5.2.4 Language, Translation and Communication Training
5.2.5 Intercultural Reintegration
5.3 Critical Reflection
5.4 Target Check
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis aims to identify the specific communication challenges faced by tourists and tourism industry employees when interacting with foreign cultures. It investigates the underlying reasons for misunderstandings beyond simple language barriers, focusing on differing attitudes, behavioral norms, and perceptions, and evaluates how these challenges can be mitigated through appropriate training and preparation.
- Cultural dimensions and their influence on behavior.
- Barriers to effective intercultural communication.
- Empirical analysis of cross-cultural experiences in the tourism sector.
- Methods for preventing cultural discrepancies (Intercultural Training).
- Reintegration and preparation strategies for international staff and tourists.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.3 Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal Communication (NVC), often simply entitled as body language or “silent language”, is the part of interpersonal communication which exists without a single words. The middle segment of figure XX covers the communications which are not spoken. This communication channel focuses on the optic-visual phenomenon which sparked the interest of many scientists. Although verbal communication is the dominant communication medium per se, body language gained in importance and should not be disregarded.
According to Ueli Gyr, head of the popular cultures department at the University of Zurich, non-verbal communication covers the entirety of, within interaction context, occurring non-linguistic phenomena, regardless of whether a shared code and intentionality, sent out by the transmitter, are given. Those hidden signals, which occur during a conversation or interaction, require a correct interpretation.
Body language includes facial expression, body language, body position, body movement, gestures, dress, touch and gaze behaviour. The following four pictures show kinesic behaviour which often leads to misunderstandings all over the world:
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the problem of intercultural encounters in the growing tourism sector and defines the research objectives and the structure of the work.
2. Culture and its Implications: Explores various scientific definitions of culture and introduces key theoretical frameworks, specifically the cultural dimensions of Kluckhohn, Strodtbeck, Hall, Hofstede, and Trompenaars.
3. Communication and its Implications: Defines communication processes, analyzes levels of communication (verbal, para-verbal, non-verbal), and discusses the history, relevance, and barriers to intercultural communication.
4. Cultural and Communicational Problems in the Tourism Industry: Details empirical findings from two surveys analyzing cultural challenges for employees and tourists, specifically focusing on the UK and UAE.
5. Preventing Cultural Discrepancies in a Tourism Enterprise: Evaluates practical methods, such as intercultural training, team-building, and language preparation, to mitigate cultural misunderstandings in the tourism industry.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the research findings, emphasizing that intercultural competence is a core capability for successful interaction in the globalized tourism environment.
Keywords
Intercultural Communication, Tourism Industry, Cultural Dimensions, Misunderstandings, Culture Shock, Cultural Competence, Intercultural Training, Host-Tourist Relationship, Non-verbal Communication, Language Barriers, Globalization, Cultural Awareness, Reintegration, Behavioral Patterns, Diversity Training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
This work examines the complexities of intercultural communication within the tourism industry, focusing on how cultural differences lead to misunderstandings between employees and tourists.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers cultural theory, levels of communication (verbal, para-verbal, non-verbal), specific cultural challenges in tourism, and practical prevention methods like intercultural training.
What is the main research objective?
The primary goal is to identify the difficulties people face when dealing with foreign cultures and to determine how these challenges can be reduced through preparation and training.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The research combines a theoretical review of cultural frameworks with an empirical approach, utilizing two distinct surveys to analyze the perspectives of employees and tourists.
What topics are discussed in the main part?
The main part analyzes the impact of cultural dimensions on workplace and tourist behavior, provides empirical data from surveys in the UK and UAE, and details various intercultural training methods.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Intercultural Communication, Tourism Industry, Culture Shock, Cultural Competence, and Intercultural Training.
Why are the UK and UAE used for detailed consideration?
These countries were selected because they represent distinct cultural environments with high levels of international tourism and multicultural staffing, making them ideal for highlighting diverse cultural impacts.
What does the "iceberg model" illustrate?
The iceberg model, discussed in chapter 2, illustrates that only 10% of culture (visible artifacts and behavior) is readily apparent, while 90% (values, norms, and attitudes) remains hidden and is often the root cause of misunderstandings.
- Quote paper
- Corinna Vellnagel (Author), 2010, Intercultural Communication within the Tourism Industry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/160357
