Gengo - Travel

How Chinese tourists are impacting the travel industry

Gengo — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 15:00:00 +0000

With over 135 million international departures in 2016, the Chinese travel market is the most powerful single source of change in the tourism industry. Chinese travelers typically spend double the international average—totaling $261 billion in 2016 and expected to reach $429 billion in 2020—so their impact on local economies around the world can be huge. Although only about 6% of Chinese own a passport, the numbers of international tourists is expected to increase as middle-class income rises, households spend more, travel restrictions are eased and the desire for experiencing different cultures and activities is on the up. While organized tours are still common with the first-time traveler, Chinese tourists are becoming more sophisticated and increasingly traveling independently. Further, young millennials and more experienced travelers are looking to personalize their travel experience with local cuisine and new experiences. The most visited destinations by the Chinese in 2017 were Hong Kong and Macau, followed by Thailand and Japan. However, safety remains the most important factor influencing destination choices, and events such as the terrorist attacks in Europe and political instability on the Korean Peninsula greatly impacted travel decisions. While visitors to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia have all grown in popularity over the past four years, the majority of Chinese are not satisfied with the service received when they travel, especially outside East and Southeast Asia such as in Europe or North America, where they tend to treat Chinese tourists as a homogenous mass. While more Chinese are traveling and demanding more services, the global travel industry faces the challenge of making Chinese guests feel welcome and comfortable. Many countries are making it easier for Chinese tourists to obtain visas, or have waived them altogether. In destinations with economic crisis such as Vanuatu, Zimbabwe and Brazil, the Chinese spend much more than other tourists in the local economy so these countries are investing in the tourism industry and adapting to the specific needs of the Chinese. Thailand—a favorite among Chinese tourists with 8.7 million visiting last year—is trying to encourage visitors to the country in an orderly and sustainable manner. They recently banned the budget zero-dollar package tours by Chinese companies that were of no benefit to either tourists or Thai businesses. The country has also discouraged big tour groups that take tourists to the same spots and treat them badly. With the help of the Chinese embassy, they designed signboards with dos and don’ts, and encouraged locals to better accommodate and communicate with the visitors. As Chinese travelers become more sophisticated, shopping continues to be a less important tourism driver than in the past. Yuan depreciation and stricter customs checks are among factors weighing on overseas shopping, with many international goods now available on the mainland due to the rise of cross-border ecommerce. Gaming, cosmetics, luxury and online sectors are expected to benefit most from the influx of Chinese tourists. Because of their sheer volume and homogenous shopping habits, Chinese tourists’ demand can influence the domestic market of certain items they like, and help make the travel industry more sustainable due to their distinct travel patterns and tastes. In addition, the Chinese tend to travel when Europe is not on holiday, often visiting unconventional destinations, thus helping to fight seasonality by creating activity when employment in the industry is low. Attracting Chinese tourists takes more than just translating your website—it takes an effort to understand and connect with potential visitors. Go global with Gengo’s people-powered translation platform. or Contact us Main image by Wikimedia Commons

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How to say “Happy New Year” in 12 of the world’s most spoken languages

Gengo — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 15:00:00 +0000

An astounding 7,097 languages are spoken in the world today, according to a recent report by Ethnologue. However, only 23 languages account for most of the world’s population and up to 90% will be extinct by 2100. We took a look at the 12 most widely spoken languages in 2016 and found out how different cultures wish each other a happy new year:

1. English

Still the world’s lingua franca, English has 375 million native English speakers and a vast majority of one billion people speak it as a second language. (Pictured above) On January 1st, fireworks are meant to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck. Image source

2. Mandarin Chinese

Boasting a total of 1.1 billion native Chinese speakers and 982 million non-natives, it’s no surprise Mandarin is named one of the languages of the future.

The dragon dance is performed to usher in good fortune. Image source

3. Hindi

Mostly influenced by the Sanskrit language, Hindi comes from the Persian word “Hind” that means “Land of the Indus River” and is one of India’s official languages.

Ugadi Pachadi is a traditional Hindu dish that symbolizes life as a mixture of the six universal emotions. Image source

4. Spanish

The second most studied language in the world, Spanish has 329 million native speakers and is projected to reach 600 million speakers by 2050.

The Spanish believe eating 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve can bring 12 months of good luck. Image source

5. Arabic

Spoken by 300 million people residing in the Arab League from Southwest Asia to Northwest Africa, Arabic is the official language in over 20 countries.

Ashura Day is a day of prayer and fasting on the 10th day of the Islamic New Year, which is based on the lunar calendar. Image source

6. Portuguese

Portuguese is the official language of eight countries: Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe, with over 235 million speakers.

Bolo Rei (King Cake) is traditionally eaten from 25th of December until the 6th of January. Image source

7. French

An official language in many international institutions, from the UN to the European Union to the Olympics Committee, it is estimated that French will be spoken by 750 million people by 2050.

In France, champagne has been associated with celebrations and royalty because of its golden color and bubbles that resemble jewels. Image source

8. Bengali

Bengali, or Bangla, is predominantly spoken in South Asia by over 230 million people from Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura.

Women wear colorful traditional saris to celebrate Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year. Image source

9. Russian

The most widely spoken of all Slavic languages, Russian is the official language in the Russian Federation and one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

Fir trees are decorated by children on New Year’s Day in Russia. Image source

10. German

About 105 million people speak German as their mother tongue and it is the official language in seven countries in the European Union.

In Germany, people give four-leaf clovers to wish friends and loved ones good luck for the new year ahead. Image source

11. Japanese

One of the most difficult languages to learn, there are only one million people who speak Japanese as a second language and about 127 million native speakers.

Traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day, Osechi Ryori is an assortment of dishes with symbolic meanings, such as long life, wealth and happiness. Image source

12. Korean

With 78 million native speakers, Korean, also known as Kugo, is the official language of South Korea and North Korea, but also spoken in China, Japan and Russia.

The largest holiday in Korea, Seollal celebrates the Lunar New Year. Image source

If it’s not listed above, how do you say “Happy New Year” in your language? We’d love to learn more!

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Three quick translation tips to reach global travelers

Gengo — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 15:00:00 +0000

80% of consumers are unlikely to buy travel services online if the website isn’t in their native language. This is a major problem for travel brands—at least those that don’t cater to international travelers. In the travel industry, the ability to communicate in your target customer’s local language is essential. From hotels and airlines to online agencies, booking sites and more, every travel business has the potential to attract international customers through translation. Here are three quick translation tips for providing a first-class experience to global travelers.

1. Localize all consumer touch points

Tourism and hospitality businesses promote their services overseas in many different ways. Travel magazines, user reviews, hotel brochures and restaurant menus are just a few examples of customer-facing content types that require translation. International visitors should be able to access any part of your site in their language. It’s crucial to have a well translated online offering to attract new customers. To retain and serve them, you’re expected to localize every part of the customer journey. Every customer touch point brings your brand to life, building trust and loyalty so you can say “welcome back” again and again.

2. Use human, not machine translation

Copious amounts of content that undergo constant change sounds like a great fit for machine translation. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Not only do human linguists write with more creativity, machine translation negatively impacts SEO. Google constantly scans for machine translations, which hurt international search engine rankings. Additionally, travel content is unique in that it doesn’t require an in-depth or specialized knowledge of technical terms. Like marketing copy, the purpose of travel content is to sell a service, so it doesn’t just have to just convey information—it also needs to be enticing. Given the right amount of context, human translation is your best bet for capturing the inviting message of your original text.

3. Develop a scalable workflow

As your brand begins to translate content at a greater speed and scale, traditional agencies will have trouble keeping up. When it comes to translating thousands of travel listings or user reviews, professional human translation can break the bank, especially from boutique agencies. This is where a crowd-platform approach to translation may offer more bang for your buck. Crowdsourced models enables thousands of translators to work simultaneously, allowing large projects to be completed quickly and at a lower price tag. Don’t let language barriers get in the way of your guests’ getaways. Localizing your travel site may seem like an overwhelming and expensive undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be. At Gengo, we have experience working with travel brands of all sizes, helping them build trust in new markets with our people-powered translation platform. Need help getting started? or Contact us

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Get our fact sheet on international traveler behavior

Gengo — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 15:00:00 +0000

When people begin seriously planning trips, research shows that one of the first places that they head to is—naturally—the internet. They flip through pages of destination listings, researching hotel options, comparison shopping for flights and looking for the best local places to stop by before returning home, all before settling on their final itinerary. At the heart of their research is content—reviews, guides, videos, travel listings, blogs, articles, digital magazines, social media. With digital content, people worldwide feel more secure than ever before booking unique overseas trips of their own online. The good news for companies with their sights set overseas? This preference for researching trips online is common to multilingual travelers around the world, and most companies already create engaging content in one language that can be easily translated. If you suspect that translating this content might be right for you (but aren’t yet fully convinced), we’ve created a quick fact sheet on how international travelers plan trips. or Contact us

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Two quick translation tips for international travelers

Gengo — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Traveling abroad but worried about language barriers? Our team has tried its fair share of multilingual dictionaries and image translation apps, and while these tools are perfect for practical needs, they don’t get you beyond the basics. Whether you’re looking to experience places more intimately for leisure or want to arrive prepared for business, we’d like to share two quick ways to get more out of your travels by translating.

Reading and writing reviews

Translating locals’ reviews of hotels, restaurants and other destinations will help you uncover the best spots, wherever you find yourself in the world. User reviews, which can direct you to the best dishes on the menu and help you discover fun places off of the beaten path, are more up-to-date and detailed than what you’ll find in curated travel guides. Don’t hesitate to create your own, too, leaving a glowing review for your favorite local shop.

Creating a custom phrasebook

Travel guides rarely have everything you need as you need it—sometimes “good morning” just doesn’t cut it. A good alternative to buying a guide is creating your own (or pairing your custom guide with a pre-made one) and including just the information that you need, whether for business or leisure. Maybe you speak just enough Russian to get by, but want to know how to greet business partners with a more detailed self-introduction. Making an effort will make you seem more polished and professional with overseas partners, even if they speak your language, and this can make for better business. Both casual and business travelers unfamiliar with the local language might find it useful to translate simple yes/no questions for uncommon or specific questions, including phrases like, “Is this store open yet?” or “Could you take me back to my hotel? It’s located at…” This small boost of confidence from being able to better communicate with those around you might give you the courage to venture out, see more sights and have a more memorable stay. If you’re going overseas soon and want to give our tips a shot, click here to get $10 in free credit towards your first order at Gengo—enough to create a sturdy starter’s guidebook, translate around ten tweets or read through reviews for a restaurant you’re eyeing. Happy travels! Go global with Gengo’s people-powered translation platform. or Contact us

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Get Gengo’s free guide to translation for the travel industry

Gengo — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 06:30:22 +0000

Travel content is diverse and can be challenging to translate for a company of any size. To help you enhance your international visibility and give customers the best possible experience using your service, we’ve created a special guide to translating for the travel industry. In this guide, we outline the importance of translating different types of content, special things to look out for and which content types you should tackle. or Contact us

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