It's official. Foreign tourists are back in France. This means it remains the world's leading tourist destination, with 75 million international visitors expected in 2022. 🥇 In 2024, between the Olympic Games and the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, the rise in international travelers is set to continue. A boon for the hotel industry, provided that it offers hotel services that appeal to this clientele. 🏨 Follow our instructions for doing just that.
Profiling foreign customers
Attracting travelers other than the French starts with an analysis of your international clientele. Who are they? Where do they come from? How long do they stay? What hotel services do they use? etc. Add to this your audience statistics on digital media (website and social networks).
Numerous national and local organizations (INSEE, Atout France, tourist offices...) have set up observatories that collect precise data on foreign tourist clientele. Don't hesitate to use their publications to refine your survey.
👉 In France, 2023 saw the return of British travelers. Have you seen the same trend in your establishment?
Hotel overnight stays during the summer season by country of origin :
Then, based on the data you've collected, target the priority foreign customers you want to prospect, and find out about their travel habits and the attentions they value.
💡 Some destination management organizations publish guides to welcoming international visitors, such as "Do You speak tourist" by the CCI and CRT Paris Île-de-France.
Adapting communication media to international travelers
Do you translate your editorial content word for word? If so, you could optimize your communication by adjusting your discourse. In fact, it's advisable to avoid literal translation of your texts. Instead, adopt a nuanced approach by developing an editorial line specific to each nationality, based on their expectations and motivations. For example, Asian customers are more interested in hospitality, while European customers are more interested in unique offers and experiences.
To help you, we have compiled a list of communication materials that can be translated into foreign languages:
- the website : from the homepage to the booking confirmation message, it is important not to leave out any content in the sales tunnel;
- Ads in online directories and booking platforms if available in your target foreign markets;
➡️ Read our article: How to list your hotel on an OTA
- Social networks: remember to translate your posts on Facebook, Instagram... into English at the very least;
- promotional videos whose scripts can be rewritten according to the origin of visitors;
- brochures, leaflets and business cards;
- personalized pre-stay and post-stay e-mails ;
- newsletters;
- customer reviews: respond to testimonials in the original language or, failing that, in English;
💡 Tip: use Deepl, one of the most powerful free online translators thanks to its artificial intelligence (even if it doesn't replace the editorial quality of a professional translator).
- loyalty programs by tailoring rewards to customer preferences;
- the welcome booklet : the digital version makes it easy to present additional services in several languages.
➡️ This is the case with GetWelcom's guest app. It includes automatic translation of content into the two main foreign languages of your choice.
- signage in common areas and bedrooms;
- safety instructions and operating manuals ;
- menu card.
Train teams to welcome foreign guests to the hotel
Recruiting employees fluent in foreign languages is essential. But with the hospitality job market facing a shortage of applicants, it's not always easy to find the right profiles. 💁🏼♂️💁♀️
In this case, focusing on understanding the habits and customs of foreign travelers can be a real strength. In the same way that you train your teams to receive hearing-impaired guests without teaching them to speak sign language, you can raise their awareness of how to welcome different foreign clienteles. The aim is to familiarize them with the cultural norms specific to each country, from polite gestures to service preferences.
A case in point 💰 In our country, tipping is becoming increasingly rare. Yet in the USA, England and Austria, it's "common currency". It can even be frowned upon if you leave without leaving a tip. So it's vital that your staff learn to accept tips without embarrassment.
Expanding the range of services for international tourists
Winning over Italian, Japanese or Swedish customers means more than just translating the website and training the teams. It's essential that your services and equipment live up to the promise. Here's how.
Flexible working hours
Between the Japanese who eat breakfast from 6 a.m. and the Spanish who dine after 9 p.m., it's advisable to adapt restaurant hours or offer room service over a wider range. Not to mention adjusting concierge and reception hours. 🕕
➡️ Read our article on setting up room service in a hotel.
Providing useful equipment and products
This materializes, among other things, in a free, high-performance Wi-fi connection, universal electrical outlets, international TV channels, toiletries, in-room safe, kettle for tea and coffee. ☕
Offering specific services
List the tourism providers in your area who offer activities adapted to international customers, either by practicing the language, or by providing audioguides or translated tour aids. A must: partner with experienced multilingual guides. Foreign customers will love it! 🚶
➡️ GetWelcom helps you promote these offers by equipping you with a guest app whose content is translated into two foreign languages. Ask for your demo!
Sources :
Government News - October 2023 : France, still the world's leading tourist destination
Press release from the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty: "Good prospects for French tourism this summer, marked by confirmation of the return of international customers".
INSEE study: Summer tourist season 2023
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