Addressing the Linguistic Gaps in a Tourism Training Programme: Perspectives From the Forever Training Academy and Tourism Establishments

Introduction

Tourism and language are interconnected and is therefore imperative to study the nature of the link that exists between the two disciplines. The interlink between the two different sectors involves communicating with tourists from across the world and using a language to make tourists feel at home (Manaliyo, 2009). Researchers have paid very little attention on the impact of language on the tourism sector in South Africa. The importance of language skills in the tourism industry has been neglected in research and its significant contribution has not yet fully been explored. This chapter is written against the backdrop of the significant increase in international tourists travelling to South Africa and the pressure on the tourism industry to appoint staff with diverse language skills to serve these tourists (Manaliyo, 2009). Tourists do not only visit the country to experience the awesome tourist attractions, but a good command of the tourist native language is also regarded as an advantage for employees in the tourism industry.

According to Smith and Jenner (1997) language learning is wihtout a doubt the most important purpose of educational tourism globally, but they added that it is the combination of education with leisure that will become noteworthy in the future, which is specifically relevant to the travel and tourism industry. Linguistic diversity indeed has become a valued skill in the tourism industry, not only with regards to the content of promotional material but also in establishing and maintaining good relations with the clients. This appreciation is reflected through encouraging people working in the tourism industry to learn foreign languages– “even a few choice phrases will go a long way in creating a memorable experience for your guests” (Nortjé, 2015). It is important to acknowledge that it is almost impossible to “accommodate the world’s 7,106 languages but should rather target those countries that visit South Africa frequently based on your market research, then communicate to those existing upcoming tourist markets in their native language” (Nortjé, 2015, p.6).

The chapter argues that tourism businesses need to start paying attention to the language issue and that language barriers could have been solved if tourism businesses had clear written language policies in place which accommodates foreign languages. Linguistic diversity should be considered as an employment criterion for employees in the tourism industry and businesses should provide language training to existing staff. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the significance of acquiring language skills as tourism graduates to respond to the growing South African tourism industry. In addition, the chapter will open a discussion on the linguistic gap that exist in a tourism training programme and tourism accomocation establishments to the language needs of the tourism industry.