important for several reasons in the tourism business, some thoughts
1. Cultural Understanding
- cultural background (where a person’s culture and traditions come from)
- customs (things people do in their culture, like holidays or greetings)
- habits (things people do often)
- expectations (what people think will happen or how things should be)
- respect (being kind and polite to others)
- understanding (knowing about something or someone)
2. Guest Needs and Comfort
- dietary needs (special food a person can or cannot eat)
- prayer needs (times or places where a person wants to pray)
- formal / relaxed cultures (some cultures have strict rules, some are easy-going)
- comfort (feeling happy and relaxed)
- personal experience (something special for one person)
3. Communication
- communication (talking or sharing ideas with others)
- language barriers (when people do not speak the same language well)
- body language (how people use their face and hands to show feelings)
- patience (waiting calmly without being angry)
4. Business Benefits
- better service (helping guests in a good way)
- avoid problems (stop mistakes or trouble)
- feeling welcome (making someone feel happy to be there)
- enjoyable stay (when guests like their time in a place)
- return guests (people who come back again)
- word of mouth (when people tell friends about a good place)
- more business (getting more guests or customers)
- company growth (a business getting bigger and better)
- competitive advantage (something special a business has to be better than others)
5. Cultural Services
- traditional food (food from a country or culture)
- cultural activities (fun things to do that show a culture)
- services (help or things a business offers)
6. Relationships
- strong relationships (good connections and trust between people)
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Understanding guests’ culture is very important in tourism.
People from different countries have different ways and habits. When workers know this, they can help guests better and make them feel happy.
Knowing culture helps to stop problems. Some guests need special food or a quiet place to pray. Some cultures are strict, some are easy. If workers respect this, guests feel welcome.
Good talking is also important. Guests speak different languages and use different body signs. Workers who know this can talk clearly and wait calmly. This makes guests feel good.
When guests feel happy and safe, they like their stay. They can come back or tell friends. This brings more guests and helps the business grow.
Also, giving guests traditional food and fun cultural things makes them feel at home. It shows respect and makes the stay special.
Many people travel from many countries today. Tourism places that know cultures get more guests. They stop mistakes and make good friends with visitors.
In short, knowing guests’ culture helps workers give good help, talk well, and make guests happy. This is good for guests and good for business.
______________
Vocabularies:
- to understand (to know or learn about something)
- a habit (something you do again and again)
- quiet (no noise or very little noise)
- to pray (to talk to God or a spirit)
- to be strict (to have many rules)
- to be easy (not hard or not strict)
- to respect (to be kind and polite to someone)
- to feel welcome (to feel happy and safe in a place)
- a body sign (a movement or action with your body to show feelings)
- to wait calmly (to wait without being angry or worried)
- to feel good (to be happy or comfortable)
- to stay (to be in a place for some time)
- to grow (to become bigger or better)
- traditional (something from a culture or old customs)
- to feel at home (to feel comfortable like you are in your own house)
- to show respect (to act in a polite and kind way)
- to know a culture (to learn about the habits and life of a group of people)
- a mistake (something done wrong)
- in short (to say something in a few words)
- to be good for business (to help a company do well and get more customers)
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Multiple choice – only one answer correct:
1. To understand means:
A) To know or learn about something
B) To forget something
C) To jump high
2. A habit is:
A) Something new every day
B) Something you do again and again
C) A big animal
3. Quiet means:
A) Very loud music
B) No noise or very little noise
C) Bright light
4. To pray means:
A) To eat food
B) To talk to God or a spirit
C) To sleep
5. To be strict means:
A) To be very kind
B) To have many rules
C) To run fast
6. To be easy means:
A) Not hard or not strict
B) Very difficult
C) To shout loudly
7. To respect means:
A) To ignore someone
B) To be kind and polite to someone
C) To fight with someone
8. To feel welcome means:
A) To feel angry
B) To feel happy and safe in a place
C) To feel lost
9. A body sign is:
A) A movement with your body to show feelings
B) A kind of house
C) A type of food
10. To wait calmly means:
A) To run fast
B) To wait without being angry or worried
C) To sleep all day
11. To feel good means:
A) To jump high
B) To feel sick
C) To be happy or comfortable
12. To stay means:
A) To leave immediately
B) To travel far away
C) To be in a place for some time
13. To grow means:
A) To break something
B) To become bigger or better
C) To become smaller
14. Traditional means:
A) Something new and modern
B) Something from a culture or old customs
C) Something very fast
15. To feel at home means:
A) To feel scared
B) To feel tired
C) To feel comfortable like you are in your own house
16. To show respect means:
A) To act in a polite and kind way
B) To be rude
C) To be quiet
17. To know a culture means:
A) To forget a language
B) To learn about the habits and life of a group of people
C) To run away
18. A mistake is:
A) Something fun
B) Something done wrong
C) Something perfect
19. In short means:
A) To talk a lot
B) To say something in a few words
C) To sleep
20. To be good for business means:
A) To lose money
B) To help a company do well and get more customers
C) To close a shop
_________________________-
Answers:
1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-B, 5-B, 6-A, 7-B, 8-B, 9-A,
10-B, 11-C, 12-C, 13-B, 14-C, 15-C, 16-A,
17-B, 18-B, 19-B, 20-B
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Gap-fill exercise – fill in:
- To ______ means to know or learn about something. (understand / forget / jump)
- To wait ______ means to wait without being angry or worried. (fast / calmly / loudly)
- To be ______ means to have many rules. (kind / strict / fast)
- To grow means to become bigger or ______. (broken / smaller / better)
- A ______ sign is a movement with your body to show feelings. (body / food / house)
- To show ______ means to act in a polite and kind way. (noise / fear / respect)
- Quiet means no noise or very ______ noise. (bright / little / loud)
- Traditional means something from a culture or old ______. (cars / music / customs)
- A ______ is something you do again and again. (habit / new / animal)
- To feel ______ means to be happy or comfortable. (bad / sick / good)
- To ______ means to talk to God or a spirit. (eat / sleep / pray)
- To stay means to be in a place for some ______. (money / time / day)
_________________________
Answers:
1 understand, 2 calmly, 3 strict, 4 better,
5 body, 6 respect, 7 little, 8 customs, 9 habit,
10 good, 11 pray, 12 time
##################
True or false?
- To grow means to become smaller.
- Quiet means no or very little noise.
- A habit is something new you do once.
- To pray means to talk to God or a spirit.
- To stay means to be in a place for some time.
- To show respect means to be rude to others.
- To be strict means to have many rules.
- A body sign is a movement with your hands only.
- To wait calmly means to wait without being angry.
- Traditional means something from a culture or old customs.
- To feel good means to be sick.
- To understand means to forget something.
_____________________
True: 2,4,5,7,9,10
#################
Match the words (A–O) with the correct definitions (1–15).
Words:
A. respect
B. quiet
C. habit
D. pray
E. grow
F. understand
G. strict
H. wait calmly
I. body sign
J. feel welcome
K. traditional
L. stay
M. mistake
N. to be easy
O. to know a culture
Definitions:
- To make a wrong action or error.
- To talk to God or a spirit.
- A way of doing something again and again.
- To have many rules or be firm.
- To be polite and kind to someone.
- To stay in one place for some time.
- To feel happy and accepted in a place.
- Not loud or noisy.
- To understand how people live and think.
- To wait without being angry or worried.
- To become bigger or better.
- A movement with your body to show feelings.
- Something from old times or culture.
- To know or learn about something.
- To be simple or not difficult.
___________________________
Answers:
A5, B8, C3, D2, E11, F14, G4, H10,
I12, J7, K13, L6, M1, N15, O9
###################
Fill in, words below:
- To understand guests helps us give better __________ every day.
- A habit is something __________ do again and again.
- Quiet means no __________ noise or very little noise here.
- To pray means to __________ to God or a spirit.
- Being __________ means there are many rules to follow.
- To __________ means to get bigger or better with time.
- A body sign shows feelings __________ words or talking.
- To show respect means to be _________and polite always.
- To wait ________ means to wait without being angry or worried.
- __________ things come from old customs and culture.
- To feel welcome means to feel happy and __________ here.
- To __________ means to be in one place for some time.
________________
kind – loud – stay – talk – calmly – service – grow – traditional – people – without – comfortable – strict
________________
Answers:
1 service
2 people
3 loud
4 talk
5 strict
6 grow
7 without
8 kind
9 calmly
10 Traditional
11 comfortable
12 stay
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Complete – words below:
Interviewer: Why is it important to understand guests’ culture?
Expert: It is important because we can give better __________ to guests.
Interviewer: How does culture help in communication?
Expert: Culture helps us know how to __________ and listen well.
Interviewer: Can culture help us avoid mistakes?
Expert: Yes, __________ culture helps us not to make mistakes with guests.
Interviewer: Does culture affect what guests like?
Expert: Yes, guests like __________ things because of their culture.
Interviewer: How does respect relate to culture?
Expert: Respect means we see and value the guests’ __________.
Interviewer: Can understanding culture make guests feel welcome?
Expert: Yes, guests feel happy and __________ when we understand them.
Interviewer: Is it good for business to know culture?
Expert: Yes, it helps us have more __________ and good reviews.
Interviewer: Do different cultures have different habits?
Expert: Yes, every culture has its own __________ habits.
Interviewer: How can we learn about guests’ culture?
Expert: We can ask guests or __________ their country and customs.
Interviewer: What is one thing you always do with guests?
Expert: I always listen carefully and try to __________ their culture.
___________________-
study – guests – different – comfortable – understand – culture – service – special – knowing – talk
___________________
Correct version:
Interviewer: Why is it important to understand guests’ culture?
Expert: It is important because we can give better service to guests.
Interviewer: How does culture help in communication?
Expert: Culture helps us know how to talk and listen well.
Interviewer: Can culture help us avoid mistakes?
Expert: Yes, knowing culture helps us not to make mistakes with guests.
Interviewer: Does culture affect what guests like?
Expert: Yes, guests like different things because of their culture.
Interviewer: How does respect relate to culture?
Expert: Respect means we see and value the guests’ culture.
Interviewer: Can understanding culture make guests feel welcome?
Expert: Yes, guests feel happy and comfortable when we understand them.
Interviewer: Is it good for business to know culture?
Expert: Yes, it helps us have more guests and good reviews.
Interviewer: Do different cultures have different habits?
Expert: Yes, every culture has its own special habits.
Interviewer: How can we learn about guests’ culture?
Expert: We can ask guests or study their country and customs.
Interviewer: What is one thing you always do with guests?
Expert: I always listen carefully and try to understand their culture.
##################
I understand that guests from different countries have many ways of life. I learn about their culture to give good service. I listen carefully when guests talk to me. I watch their body signs to know how they feel. I respect their habits and rules. I wait calmly when they need time. I try to make them feel welcome and happy. I use quiet words and speak clearly. I do not make mistakes with guests. I know that understanding culture is good for my work. This helps guests enjoy their stay with us.
Rewrite the text starting with
He understands that guests…………..
and make all changes necessary.
_______________________
Correct version:
He understands that guests from different countries have many ways of life. He learns about their culture to give good service. He listens carefully when guests talk to him. He watches their body signs to know how they feel. He respects their habits and rules. He waits calmly when they need time. He tries to make them feel welcome and happy. He uses quiet words and speaks clearly. He does not make mistakes with guests. He knows that understanding culture is good for his work. This helps guests enjoy their stay with them.