Intercultural Communication in Tourism

Cross-Cultural Management Journal Volume XVII, Issue 1 / 2015 Cristina Elena ALBU ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Romania INTERCULTURAL Literature Review COMMUNICATION IN TOURISM Keywords Culture, Tourism, Communication, Stereotype, Cultural shock, Intercultural communication. JEL Classification D83; M14; L83 Abstract Communication is involved in all social life acts, being the constituent factor of creation and of cultural processes. Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue are intensely discussed topics in today's society which is marked by globalization. Cultural differences are the core subject for studies addressing intercultural communication. Good knowledge of other cultures is a necessary step to get to recognize the nature of these differences and to relate to others through attitudes of understanding and tolerance which are premises for genuine intercultural dialogue, especially in the tourism industry. While communication is an act of human relationships, culture is the motive of this act. In tourism, quality of communication is related to the level of the culture involved and to the degree of improvement of the means of which is done. Intercultural communication experiences help tourists to know and to appreciate other cultures, but also help them to a better understanding of their own culture. 7 Cross-Cultural Management Journal Volume XVII, Issue 1 / 2015 Introduction 1. Culture Tourism is a nowadays phenomenon, In an anthropological sense, culture is ”the based on increased need for health recovery and for collective programming of the mind by which changing environment, as well as for “the birth and members of a group or social categories are the development of a sense of openness for distinguished from others” (Hofstede, 2012). beauties of nature” (Ionescu, 2000). People always Intercultural communication operates with this have focused on widening spatial and temporal anthropological concept of culture defined by Geert horizon of knowledge of their existence. One of the Hofstede as the “software of the mind”. If you have main means of achieving that objective was travels forgotten everything you learned, if all the (Ferenţ, 2007). Somehow involuntarily travels are information gathered was deleted from your marked by communication in many ways in which memory, what remains is just this software that this can occur: between tourist and tourism service represents culture. provider, among tourists from different cultures, Culture influences communication: the between employees of different nationalities of study of intercultural communication focuses not travel agencies etc. only on language use; the study of intercultural Good communication is not just communication recognizes how culture outlines transmitting information, but also a mutual who we are, how we behave, how we think, how understanding of each other's wishes and needs. we speak (Dodd, 1995). We recognize and respect Communication may be difficult if one of the the way which cultural footprint justify differences parties is dominant and rejects intercultural in communication style, vision and personality of dialogue, this fact influencing negatively the forms everyone. of tourism taking place in a particular destination. Cultural features were often attributed to Sometimes, it may appear negative aspects of heredity because philosophers and other scholars communication, from the rejection of the idea of from past did not know how else to explain the dialogue, up to violent manifestation of its own remarkable stability of the differences between position. In the tourism industry, this event can cultural patterns of human groups. They appear especially when tourists interact with local underestimated the impact of learning from population, which, in this case, would consider previous generations and the transmission to the tourists some intruders in their own culture. next generation of what we ourselves have learned. Communicative behaviours of individuals Ethnic conflicts are often justified by unfounded are the result of complex interactions between arguments of “superiority or inferiority of culture” cultural factors, contextual factors, knowledge and (Hofstede, 2012). emotion. The way we communicate is anchored The cultural differences act in different culturally, shaped by attitudes, values, practices ways. From the multitude of terms used to describe and specific expectations of an ethnic group, which the manifestations of culture, the next four types are created and circulated in the communication cover well enough the whole concept: symbols, process. Communication situations involving heroes, rituals, values and practices (as shown in individuals from different cultures are called Figure 1): intercultural communication situations. In the ▪ symbols: are words, gestures, pictures or objects process of intercultural communication, tourists that have a specific meaning that cannot be from different cultural backgrounds “negotiate their recognized as such only by those who share that cultural identities, rules of meaning, perception, culture. The words of a language or of slang belong effects which may occur in the interaction process” to this category, as well as clothing, hairstyle, flags (Şerbănescu, 2007). and symbols that define a social status. This is the In intercultural communication situations reason why the symbols have been placed towards within tourism can arise communication barriers, the outside - the surface layer. misunderstandings caused by differences in ▪ heroes: they are people, living or dead, real or behaviour, perceptual or of meaning, that exist imaginary, endowed with the qualities esteemed in between tourists coming from different cultures as a culture, and therefore serve as patterns of well as negative stereotypes activation. behaviour. Communication barriers may exist between tourists ▪ rituals: they are collective activities, even if it and staff from a specific tourism company (hotel, does not help in practical terms to achieve desired restaurant, travel agency, etc.). Misunderstandings, goals, within a culture are considered essential wrong interpretations, communication gaps are an within social plan. Therefore, their fulfillment has a inherent feature of intercultural communication. value in itself. The experiences of intercultural communication ▪ values: the core of culture consists of values: help the individual to know and to appreciate other these are general tendencies to prefer certain cultures, but also to better understand its own situations than others. Values are bipolar feelings: culture. they have a positive and a negative dimension. 8 Cross-Cultural Management Journal Volume XVII, Issue 1 / 2015 ▪ practices: these include symbols, heroes and reactions from one we interact, which confirms the rituals. These are visible per se for an outside stereotype group. When we try to inhibit activated observer; their cultural significance remains stereotypes in our minds, the processes involved in invisible and depends only on how these practices the inhibition of stereotypical material lead to its are interpreted by those within the group. increased accessibility, which makes those Culture offers tourists the opportunity to stereotypes to return later in our mind with greater get in touch with the history, traditions and customs intensity than if we had not tried to suppress them. of other nations, that contributes to the Our psychological processes analyze in such a way the stereotypical information or counter- development of self, to accommodate with the stereotypical information, that very often contribute lifestyle of the population from certain tourist to maintain stereotypes rather than to change them. destination. Stereotypes have an important role in tourism since some ungrounded information can 2. Stereotype – part of the culture influence a tourist to visit or not a certain place. A stereotype is a cognitive generalization Therefore, it is ideal for tourists to inquire in about a particular social group which brings advance about destination that they plan to visit, for together members of a group through a specific getting familiar to specific cultural aspects of that attribute. These cognitive associations can appear area, in order not to experience a cultural shock. anytime and it is not necessary “to be based on a Often, this informing clarifies many stereotypes in specific culture” (Miller et al., 2012). “In tourism, the mind of tourist and can permanently change its stereotypes are used to describe tourists and locals. perception on certain features of a tourist Stereotypes can influence the perceptions of destination, of the local population, of how should tourists and hosts that they have about each others.” behave in public in countries that are totally Positive stereotypes can attract tourists, while different from that of the tourist (for example, this negative ones can drive them away (Reisinger, difference may be reflected under the aspect of 2009). religion, customs, behaviour towards tourists: their From social point of view, “building-up acceptance or rejection by the host population). of stereotypes depends on” (Cernat, 2005): ▪ status of observed groups (high-status group 3. Cultural Shock members perceived as effective and competent); Intercultural encounters are often ▪ nature of relations between groups (group accompanied by similar psychological and social members which we are in conflict are perceived as processes. The simplest form of intercultural unsociable

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