Strategies for Cross-Cultural Understanding in International Tourism

This report examines the significance of cross-cultural understanding in the tourism industry. It begins by defining cultural tourism and highlighting the impact of cultural differences on tourist behavior, communication, religion, and social norms across various countries. The report then delves into strategies for managing these cross-cultural issues, emphasizing the importance of recognizing cultural diversities such as communication styles, attitudes toward conflict, and decision-making processes. It further explores Hofstede's cultural dimensions, including power distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term versus short-term orientation, and indulgence versus restraint, providing examples of how these dimensions influence tourist experiences. The report concludes by summarizing the challenges faced by tourists in cross-cultural settings and emphasizing the need for tourists to understand the culture and religion of the host country to ensure successful and respectful travel experiences, contributing to the economic growth of the tourism sector.

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Tourists and Inter-cross culture

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Introduction
Tourism becomes the phenomenon of international tourism and an essential part of economic
growth. The globalization of tourism sector is wide with complex. It is a concept of visiting
different areas with a different culture, regulations, and communications and traditions (Jung,
2018). In various different in countries, culture and regulations, communication and traditions
diversities leads to some misunderstandings for tourist and travelers. Therefore it is essential to
examine the strategies to address these cross culture issues, as it has significant impacts of
tourism industry’s growth (Reisinger & Turner, 2012).
The purpose of this report is to analyze the important aspects and points of cross-cultural
understanding and how to cross culture affects global tourism in terms of behaviors and
communication and religion and social norms. It will also analyze how it should be managed.

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Cultural tourism
Tourism – host contact is a part of cultural tourism. However there is no definition of cultural
tourism which is widely accepted, yet it can be assumed that cultural tourism is the concept of
traveling or visit the area where the culture of the visited country is a significant aspect of the in
attracting visitors to the destinations. The culture of the host country is presented through its
religion communication methods, history, and behavior (Reisinger, 2011).
It is a fact that cross culture behavior affects tourism mostly as different countries have their own
barriers with respect to their behavior and communications. For instance, in Arab countries,
women cannot enter the mosque and people often face discrimination (ElSafty, 2018), therefore
it can cause to female visitors to visit Arab countries. On the other side in China people often
face language difficulties as people in China does not speak English. There are more attitude and
behavior difficulties travelers and visitors face (Rodgers, 2018).
The relationship among nearby inhabitants and outside travelers is made by between the conduct
of remote vacationers in the visitor goal and the manner in which neighborhood individuals see
this conduct. How the nearby individuals see the conduct of remote voyagers and assess it as
negative or positive is resolved essentially by common and better standards of the number of
inhabitants in a particular goal. In any case, one must consider that the behavior of visitors amid
their stay in the traveler goal regularly does not mirror the usual way of natural life of remote
visitors. It infers that visitors' behavior appears to be increasingly loose amid vacations, which is
seen in wearing easygoing garments, quality of food, refreshments, just as in the pattern of
getting greater stimulation. Such conduct generally makes a bad side of the nation of their cause
for the neighborhood populace. It is important to identify the cultural differences before visit the
place. Some cultural diversity can be considered easily such as food, music and social behavior

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yet some are difficult to find such as kinship system, many organizations, religion and other days
to day behavior. There are some common and fundamental patterns of cultural diversities and
ways in which country behavior tend to vary from one another, such as diverse communication
style, a different attitude to conflicts, different style of decision-making and different tactics to
knowing (Berry, 2019).
Across cultural some phrases and behavior used in different ways in different countries. For
instance in many country and areas with the English language the word “Yes” means varies from
“ maybe, considering it to “definitely so”. In some country’s view conflict in a positive way but
in some other culture people avoid it. For instance, in US people stimulated to face and deal with
conflicts. These cultural differences can cause many interactions difficulties (Soldatenko, 2019).
Many studies and assessment have been done on inter and cross-culture diversities. Hofstede
culture theory is one of the theories to understand the cultural difference in interpersonal
interaction. There are 6 dimensions of Hofstede culture:
 Power distance Index
 Collectivism vs Individualism
 Masculinity vs Femininity
 Uncertainty avoidance
 Long-term vs short term orientation
 Indulgence vs restraint (Hogstede Insights , 2018)
Power distance
This dimension examines to what extent a nation and society expect and accept the unequal
power and authority distribution. In some countries with high dimension power such as in

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Malaysia, Panama and the Philippines, people believe in hierarchal order at every level. People
listen to their seniors and obligate their orders and rules made by them. To visit these place
visitors have to follow the rules and show obligation to leaders and those who have a high
designation.
While on the other side with low dimension power countries believe in equality. People value
independence and personality. Countries with low dimension power such as Austria and NZ
people respect equality. That would more comfortable to visit countries with low power as they
do not have to follow orders and visit destinations independently (Reisinger & Turner, 2012).
Individualism versus collectivism
This dimension shows how countries believe and enjoy individualism and people surroundings.
For example in America people celebrate the individualism. America is a meritocracy country in
which people takes care of themselves and their close family members only. On the other side,
China and Spain with low position enjoy the groups and one’s success regarded as a success of
the groups or the company. People take care of their friends and families, friends and expect the
same loyalty from them (Ugrin, 2018).
Masculinity versus femininity
According to this dimension Country with high Masculinity are often ego oriented and the
culture is the men oriented, such countries give less important to women as compared to the men.
Money related things and religion are important for such communities. To visit such countries
Visitors have to follow the religion while visiting the place. In these countries only men can be
priests, therefore, visitors can face in host countries discrimination (Ugrin, 2018).

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On the other side with this low dimension Countries are mostly relationship oriented and people
believe in gender equality. Both men and women can be a priest. Women involvement is high in
corporate. These places can be comfortable for women visitors (Ugrin, 2018).
Uncertainty avoidance index
This dimension precise the degree to which the communities feel uncomfortable with ambiguity
and uncertainty. For instance, in Germany, stands high vulnerability shirking at 65 contrasted
with Singapore which stands at low UAI 8, while on the other side Denmark stands at 23.
Germans are not too excited about vulnerability; by arranging everything cautiously they attempt
to sustain a strategic space from the vulnerability. In Germany, people are depends on guidelines,
laws, and regulations. Germany requires decreasing its dangers to the base and continuing with
changes well ordered. The US stands a 46. Vulnerability evasion in the US is normally low,
which can unmistakably be seen through the country cultures (Hofstede Insights, 2018).
Long term versus short term normative orientation
This dimension assesses how countries accept changes in culture accosting to time. With long
term orientation countries mostly are those who accept changes according to time and focused on
the future. People believe persistence and perseverance. They change their traditions according
to time. China is one of them. Countries with short term normative orientation would be
preferred to maintain old traditions and rarely accept changes according to time. People often
live in the past and present as compared to future (Hogstede Insights , 2018).
Indulgence versus restraint
With the high indulgence, countries are open-minded and follow the basic human desires in
order to live life and enjoying it. For instance, Malaysian is broad minded to enjoy their life. On
the other side, restraint countries live with the regulations and people have control of their

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desires and follow their traditions and rules of the society. Restraint countries such as Indonesia
believe that their actions are restricted by social norms and regulations. Hence for visitors, it is
essential to follow social rules and norms and that could be hazardous if they do not follow
social norms (Ugrin, 2018).

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Conclusion
It can be concluded from the above report that intercultural and cross-cultural are the major
aspect to analyze in order to attract tourists. There are many challenges faced by tourists in
visiting the cross culture and the major elements which leads to the interaction difficulties are
diverse communication methods, language, religion and attitude of the host country. It is
important for the tourist and visitors before visiting the country to know about the country’s
culture and religion so that they can visit accordingly and makes their holiday successful without
hurting anyone’s religious feelings. That would also help to sustain tourism and will help more
effectively in the economic growth of the country.

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