Intercultural communication in tourism promotion

This paper deals with intercultural communication in the tourism industry, using research carried out on five small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Italy. English is generally the lingua franca for interactions between international tourists and local tourist institutions, and often also the language of promotion. However, while these tourists and institutions may communicate in the same language, they often do not share the same cultural framework of reference, which can lead to miscommunication, misinterpretation and even offence. This can be a significant hindrance when promoting local and regional tourism. The aim of this study is to examine intercultural communicative competence in the context of the tourism industry. It will also examine how negotiation can be an encounter of models, culture effects goals, attitudes, perception, personal and communicative style, and nonverbal behaviour.