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Learn Hospitality English and welcome guests from 65 countries and territories that have English as their first language. Learning English is the perfect way to welcome a whole host of guests from all over the world from English speaking countries, such as the U.K., the U.S., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to name just a few! The thing to bear in mind is that although they all ma...

Learn Portuguese and say 'olá' or 'bom dia' to your Portuguese hotel guests Your Portuguese hotel guests will be more relaxed than Nothern European counterpoints. The Portuguese love to chat about football, food, the economy, politics and fashion, and the weather is a favourite topic for small talk. Do not take any statements for granted; any verbal or written statements are generally not g...

Learn Russian, and make sure you are up to speed with Russian "Formalnost” (Formality) Despite the recent wobble with the rouble, Russians are Europe’s fastest growing outbound travel group, reaching 31.5 million trips in 2013. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, 54% of Russians stay up to 14-21 nights on a single vacation, spending most on hotels, food outlets and sho...

Learn Japanese, and embrace “Omotenashi” (to welcome guests wholeheartedly) for your Japanese hotel guests To really be able to welcome your Japanese guests, you need to have a good understanding of Japanese-style service, “Omotenashi”. “Omotenashi” means "to welcome guests wholeheartedly." It comes from the verb "motenasu" which means "to make welcome" or "to entertain". Bringi...

Learn Chinese Mandarin and develop "Guanxi", ensuring you are first choice for Chinese hotel guests. Trust in China is predominantly built on personal relationships – “Guanxi”. Instead of trusting online hotel reviews written by strangers, IHG Research indicated that 52% said they rely on the Word of Mouth of family and friends.Unsatisfying service for one customer can lead to losing pote...

Learn Dutch, the no-nonsense language you need to make your guests from the Netherlands feel at home The Dutch society is egalitarian and modern. The people are modest, tolerant, independent, self-reliant, and entrepreneurial. The Dutch are reserved and don't touch in public or display anger or extreme exuberance. They have an aversion to the nonessential. Ostentatious behavior is to be avoided...

Learn Norwegian and ensure you can follow 'Jante Law' with your Norwegian guests Norway has a strictly egalitarian culture, the cornerstone of which is 'Jante Law'. According to Jante Law, values of humility, respect, simplicity and equality are a priority. As such, Norwegian people are not vocal about their own achievements (wealth, intelligence, material goods) and are generally unimpressed b...

Learn Swedish, and mirror the communication style of the softly and calmly spoken Swedes One of the key characteristics of Swedish culture is that Swedes are egalitarian in nature, humble and find boasting absolutely unacceptable. When welcoming Swedish hotel guests, ensure that you reflect their communication style. When speaking, Swedes speak softly and calmly. It is rare that you were witnes...

Learn Arabic, and ensure that your Arabic speaking guests feel at home. There is a signficant growth in people from the Middle East spending on travel (the combined population of the Arab countries is over 350 million), and tourism is an economic vitality in the Middle East Arab visitors rated the following for great service: Fast check-in and personalized services The ability of custome...

Learn Portuguese and work on your “Relacionamento” (Relationship) with your Brazilian hotel guests. Expected to be the fifth largest economy by 2025, millions of the emerging middle class in Brazil are eager to travel the world. Although the U.S. is still the most popular destination by far, attracting 1.5 million Brazilians annually, many are optimistic about future long-haul travels. I...