(1888PressRelease)
May 09, 2009 - ‘Are you ready?’ is the question being asked by Thames Translations, who have developed a free downloadable checklist for the tourism industry to use in their preparations for what is expected to be a very busy summer indeed.
A survey earlier this year revealed that over 50% of Britons planned to stay put in the UK this year and head to the coast and with the low pound compared to the euro and dollar, London has become an affordable destination for many overseas visitors, according to Thames Translations’ managing director Simon George, who believes that the language barrier may be putting the non-English speaking tourists off visiting Britons most popular attractions.
“With the low pound compared to the euro and dollar, a trip to London has now become an affordable luxury for overseas visitors. Combine that with the fact that more UK residents will be opting for British holidays this year, the tourist industry is likely to be one sector which benefits from the recession provided they can reach their potential audience effectively,” says George.
George is keen to remind all those in the tourism sector to conduct a language audit of their customers to ensure that they have provided adequate provisions for the many non-English speaking visitors who actually reside in the UK as well as those coming from abroad.
“Many tourist attractions forget that there are hundreds of thousands of non-English speaking residents in the UK and so embracing languages is not simply an exercise to bring in foreign tourists but to ensure that those on their doorstep can engage with them and understand their messages too. A language audit is the crucial first step in identifying what language requirements are needed at both a local level and further afield,” says George.
To obtain a copy of the free checklist ‘Are you ready?’ email marketing ( @ ) thames-translations dot com or call + 44(0)8700 111130.
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