Intercontinental Hotels: Foreign Languages & Cultural Awareness Report

This report focuses on the importance of foreign language and cultural awareness within the hospitality industry, specifically in the context of Intercontinental Hotels. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of language and culture and how understanding cultural differences is crucial for providing excellent guest services. The report analyzes the cultural nuances and behaviors of visitors from countries like Thailand, Bulgaria, the UK, and the Maldives. It proposes an aide memoire for hotel staff, outlining guidelines on cleanliness, internet savvy employees, shared spaces, welcome themes, and local health facilities. The report also provides a list of do's and don'ts for hotel staff, emphasizing the importance of attentive service, knowledge of the menu, and positive interactions. The overall goal is to enhance guest experiences, increase customer satisfaction, and improve the hotel's brand image and profitability by catering to international visitors' needs and expectations.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES
AND CULTURAL
AWARENESS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
Produce an Aide memoire for hotel staff to manage guest service experience for international
visitor and identified their key cultural differences, customs and behaviour.............................3
Do's and don'ts for hotel staff .....................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Foreign language and cultural awareness both the terms are interrelated to each other as
culture contains the language it also influences the behaviour of the people and their language.
The use of different language is not different from the culture. As in this eastern culture is quite
different from the western culture. This report is based on the Intercontinental group of hotels
that is largest British hotel headquartered in England. It has around 5656 hotels in all over the
world. This study helps in provided the reminder for hotel staff to manage the guest services
experiences for international visitors by understanding their culture differences, customs and
behaviours. So that international visitors of countries like Thailand, Bulgaria, UK, Maldives etc.
can attracts towards the IGH and due to this they can strong their market position by gaining
higher profits and also helps in enhancing the brand image into the market place. At last this
project suggests the do's and don'ts for hotel staff that would helps in attending the customers
very effectively by maintaining their image and gaining the competitive advantage(Glisan and
Donato, 2017).
MAIN BODY
Produce an Aide memoire for hotel staff to manage guest service experience for international
visitor and identified their key cultural differences, customs and behaviour
As travel and hotel industry is dominated by the customers services whereas the business
related to the hotel group can live and die by fulfilling the needs of the customers. In this if the
demands of the customers are increasing day by day complexities in delivering the services and
goods are also arising for Hotels. In case of Intercontinental Group of Hotels, managers can set
the reminder for their employees i.e. hotel staff who offers services to the customers, so that they
can manage the service experiences for the international visitors like Maldives, UK, Thailand
and Bulgaria. For this manager firstly analyse the cultures, behaviour of these countries so that
they can set their guidelines for hotel staff to manage the different cultures customers. Further it
includes the culture, behaviour of different countries so that hotel staff can effectively manage
their customers satisfaction that can be shown below(Baker, 2015).
Thailand culture and behaviour
Thailand represent a rich and enchanting culture that is mainly influenced by the India,
South Asia, Cambodia ethnic group. The major culture of Thailand is related with the Thai food

culture that is a blend of sour, sweet, salty, bitter, spicy that shows a great balance and reflects
the most amazing sea food and meat. They mainly prefer the Jasmine rice in their regular meal.
They mainly focus on the family as they gives the high priority to their families(Gaia, 2015).
Maldives culture and behaviour
Maldives is a beautiful fascinating destination that steeped in high culture and tradition.
They are mainly shaped by Indians, Arab, Persian, Indonesian etc. People of Maldives are
welcoming and friendly nature who will majorly focus on making the holiday a truly
unforgettable holiday. The traditional food that is based on the Maldives are hot and spicy and
lots of soups, curries and dishes that are served with rice. For entertaining the Maldives people in
the hotel they can organize the cultural dance performance so that they can attracts and visit
again and again. Their behaviour of people are quite conservative as they mainly follow Islamic
religion. Their lives of people are being dependant on sea(Piątkowska, 2015).
Bulgaria Culture and behaviour
The culture of Bulgaria is denoted as a atmospheric country that produce a vibes related
to the influences of different cultures and Eastern cultures and Eastern Orthodox Church. It is a
interesting blend of the Thracian, Salvic and Bulgaria traditions. Their behaviour of people is
somewhat dominating.
UK culture and behaviour
United Kingdom follows the British culture that as a blend of the Christian religion which
is famous in all over the world. It is also denoted as a western culture where people live very
enthusiastically. There people are not mainly gives the priority to their family members. The
famous food of the UK is a staple food i.e. meat, fish, flour, butter tat involves mainly sandwich,
fish and pies etc.
After analysing the culture and behaviour of the different international countries
managers of Intercontinental Group of Hotels can set document for their staff members for
attending in an effective way so that it helps the IGH to maintain their longer sustainability and
profits and also helps in retaining the international customers. Some of the guidelines for staff
members to handle the international visitors can be shown below(Repo and et. al., 2017).
 Cleanness and Hygiene- It is one of the essential guideline for the hotel staff of
Intercontinental group of Hotels, for managing the customers services for international
visitors. Mainly travellers are preferring naturally hygiene place as per their own country

culture. As people of Maldives are more conscious about their food choices and prefer a
proper traditional hygienes in their food and drinks. They do not blend the meat with
traditional food that shows unhygienic(Perso and Hayward, 2020).
 Experts and internet savvy employees- To attend the international visitors by the hotel
manager of Intercontinental Group of Hotels can set the guidelines to their staff members
as they use the internet all the time to attend the different culture customers so that they
feel enchanting to buy the services. For attending the Bulgeria people Hotel staff can
attend them with them with Bulgeria Tradition that is Thracian fire dancing so that they
feel excited and happy to visit the hotel premises again and again. For attending Thailand
people IGH staff workers are focuses on providing the healthy and warming welcome
with full of tradition related to mainly Indian culture. This will helps in gaining high
customers base for the intercontinental group of Hotels in all over the world. To attracts
them more organisation can also use their home country language when they talk them so
that they feel great and enjoys their vacations effectively(Curdt-Christiansen and
Weninger, 2015).
 Shared places- It is very essential to manage the customers experience of the
international visitors in Intercontinental group of hotels. In this manager can pass the
document to treat their international customers as per their culture and tradition. As
people of Maldives and Thailand are very traditional so that offering services related to
beaches and pool is separated and according to their dress culture. Travellers of
Maldives like to wear full swimming costumes and prefer to enjoy only with their friends
and family so for them staff of Hotel IGH can provide the separate pool and beach in the
hotel with full of Hot and spicy food. For treating the people of UK they follow the
western culture and food mainly sandwich, fish, pies etc. so that they will retain with the
company and enjoy their vacations effectively.
 Welcome themes according to countries visitors- For attending the customer on
international market manager of Intercontinental Group of Hotels can provide training to
their staff members by using the internal and social media so that they can understand the
mainly four countries cultures i.e. Maldives, UK, Thailand and Bulgaria so that they can
attend their country visitors effectively. In this they can offer a personal guide who can
guide them in their own language so that guest can clearly gain the knowledge about their

destination country in which they visit. Staff members also prepared a welcome dance for
them as per their countries cultures this helps in showing the best experience for the
customers in visiting the Hotel like Intercontinental Group of Hotels(Svalberg, 2016).
 Local health facilities- For International Visitors Staff member of Intercontinental group
of hotels can offer the local health facilities as they don't know about the country much in
which they visit. This is the best service that international customer experience in their
vacations. It also showcasing the essential service that a Hotel can provide for a
international Traveller of countries like Maldives, UK, Thailand and Bulgaria(Ahonen
and Kinnunen, 2015).
Do's and don'ts for hotel staff
In Hotel organisation it is very essential to having a good waiter staff so that they can
face success in their business survival. It represents as a huge factor in experiencing the customer
services. In case of Intercontinental Groups of Hotels, managers can make some guidelines that
reflects the do's and don'ts for the staff members when they attend the international visitors, so
that they can work effectively and this will attracts the large base of customers in all over the
globe. Some of them can be shown below(Weninger and Kiss, 2015).
Do's for Intercontinental Group of Hotel Staff
 Do Attend Guest- It is the major responsibility of the staff member of Intercontinental
Group of Hotels to greet the guest according to their culture and language and according
with the time of the day i.e. saying good morning, Afternoon, evening Sir/Ma'am. This
gestures of attending guest shows the Hotel environment and this helps in enhancing the
image of the company.
 Do Know the Menu- It is very significant for the staff members to memorize the whole
food and drinks menu with speciality with their cost. This will attracts the visitors with
their experienced service(Kukulska-Hulme, 2015).
 Do always smile- This is important do's for hotel staff when attending the visitors for
every countries visitors. As smiling always in front of the guest helps in attracting the
customers to visit again and again that gives the positive light to the hotel. At this time
guest feel happy to see the smiling face of staff members at the time of serving and
spending time.

 Do well housekeeping- It is an essential for the staff member of the Hotel to provide the
well and organised housekeeping services by properly arrange the guest room and
vacuum the room on daily basis. That feel hygiene by the visitors. Effectively taking care
for the guest and their belongings. This helps in attracting the visitors to visit again and
again and this helps in enhancing the brand image of the Intercontinental Group of
Hotels(Lomicka and Lord, 2016).
Don'ts for Intercontinental Groups of Hotel Staff
 Don't use cell phone while attending guest- It is the major drawback for the hotel staff
and they cannot perform it while attending and providing services to the visitors. This
factors shows the negative impression on the international visitors. This also break the
concentration of guest I effectively attending them. For attending the international
visitors staff members work perfectly that place an good impression on their mind(Chun,
2015).
 Don't be late on providing service to customers- It is very essential for attending the
international visitors that staff member of Hotel do not late and de-honest towards the
customers. This will reduce the image of the Hotel in the international level and due to
this company may face major loss by removing the base of international visitors.
CONCLUSION
From the above explained report it is to be concluded that foreign language and cultural
differences place an essential place in the business world especially in hotels. Because in this
Hotel can hire a experienced staff who can attend international customers according to their
customers, cultures and behaviour. This helps in gaining the higher profits and also attracts the
many more visitors of different countries so that company will gain higher profits. In this manger
of the Hotel group can manage their staff services for the different countries visitors and also
focuses on their cultures and behaviour so that staff can provide the high level of services in an
effective manner. In this staff members is playing an significant role so that manager can set
proper code of conduct due to this relations with the customers can be maintained and firm will
gain higher profits.

REFERENCES
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