SERVICES > TOURISM TRANSLATION

Are you looking for any of these translation services for your travel documents?

Translation of travel guides

Translation of online ads

Translation of travel agency brochures

Translation of articles on tourist destinations

Subtitling of corporate videos and travel documentaries

Translation of infographics on tourism

Translation of hotel reviews and descriptions

Translation of tourism websites and mobile apps

Translation of newsletters

Translation of restaurant menus

Why is it important to have your tourism texts translated by an expert?

Hotels, museums, travel agencies, airlines and sectors such as retail and catering need to use tourism translation services in order to stand out from the crowd and remove any linguistic and cultural barriers for foreign customers. We must always bear in mind that, in the tourism sector as in any other, customers really value hassle-free communication, making it essential that you can rely on a professional translation service. It’s important that customers have access not just to well-translated content and online booking platforms, but also information materials such as travel guides, maps or visitor’s brochures for museums and other tourist attractions.

Similarly to when they purchase an e-commerce product, users looking to book a trip want to find all sorts of practical information about the destinations they intend to visit and the services available to them. The more accurate and practical this information is, the more likely they are to make a booking, as well as repeat bookings in the future. If tourism companies want their potential customers to take this action, they need to use persuasive writing techniques, or copywriting, to capture their attention and provide copy that’s adapted to each communication channel. This is precisely why high-quality, professional translation is key when it comes to attracting customers in a new target market.

What are the main challenges of translation for the tourism sector?

Translating tourism content requires specific knowledge of various fields; this type of translation is often considered to be general and not highly specialised, yet a single PDF presentation, web page or travel documentary can contain transport information, geography and maps, architectural descriptions, information on food, flora and fauna, etc. We need to research various different topics and, to do that, we need to know which sources to use.

In all these cases, the translation work needs to focus on the end user; in most cases, literal translation doesn’t work and instead we need to opt for a descriptive or more creative translation that not only conveys the same feelings as the original message but creates a new message, with another focus if necessary.

Examples of descriptive translation include restaurant menus, which feature the names of different dishes, desserts and beverages, often accompanied by a brief description. Standard expressions used in Spain’s menus, such as “patatas bravas”, “cocido leonés”, “revuelto” or “vino de la tierra” cannot be translated literally to other languages, as the result would be incomprehensible.

On the other hand, an example of creative translation is the online slogan of a marketing campaign or Google Ads copy, where the primary concern is capturing the user’s attention so that they book that cruise or beachside apartment.

In conclusion, tourism translation brings with it more challenges than may appear on the surface, and the importance of quality should not be underestimated, specifically the positive or negative impact it can have on potential customers.

A few facts and figures about the travel industry

Globalisation and the emergence of new technology have made it easier to access new tourist destinations and to travel more often.

According to the World Tourism Barometer of the WTO, 1.5 billion tourists travelled internationally in 2019, 4% more than in 2018. It is hoped that, despite the COVID-19 crisis, this number will recover and continue to rise over the next few years.

In addition, the search for new, more personalised ways of travelling is now a reality. The fact that many booking platforms and websites address the user directly is no coincidence – travellers are increasingly demanding and want to customise their travel experience as much as possible.

While a few years ago you had to go into the travel agents in person, many customers are now choosing to plan their trip themselves. Nowadays, the destinations they always wanted to visit are just a click away, and they can even visit the area virtually, check the exact location of their hotel or search for information about public transport.

Customers are definitely becoming more independent and curious when it comes to planning their travel themselves. All of this means that providing high-quality translations for tourists creates a better impression and guarantees a better user experience.