English for Tourists

People who travel around the world as tourists will most likely use English in foreign countries where they visit. Even before visiting a country, they need to look for information that are related to their travel plan and destinations. They will try to use the internet to find websites that provide readings about places which they want to visit, for example: spending a summer vacation in Dallas of Texas or a snorkeling and watching birds of paradise in tropical island of New Guinea or visiting the Ubud town of Bali to see the wealth of the Balinese culture and art. They may decide to travel to this city directly or they may buy tour packages that are offered by travel companies. More experienced travelers usually make some research on the internet. There are a lot of travel guide websites at the moment. Some of them are provided by Lonely Planet and Traveljournal.net.

The website of Lonely Planet is presented in several different languages. It provides up to date information about any destinations which tourists may want to go whereas the traveljournal.net contains travel stories written by travelers who are members of the website. Today, when we go to a bookstore in town, we can find a lot of travel guide books, mostly written in English, for any destinations we want to go. Tourists who can understand and read good English will not find difficulties when traveling particularly to countries which have usually been visited by foreign travelers.

Governments know that tourism can improve the living standard of their people because it creates a lot of employment opportunities. Therefore, they have tourism departments that promote places that are beautiful and attractive to be developed as tourist destinations. English is the most popular language in hospitality industry.

Eco-tourism - In tropical region such as New Guinea island, the main tourist attractions are rainforest, coral reef and white sandy beach. So, tourists who come to, for instance, the Arfak mountains will usually go hiking, and go scuba diving. They will carry binoculars, telephoto camera and some books that are related to birds and other wild animals that can be seen in the mountains. There are books that have been written by ornithologists about birds in New Guinea. Tourists who are interested in watching birds will find those books useful. Because most birders use digital cameras, to familiarize themselves with their photographic equipment.

Basic English Conversations for Travelers - Travelers or tourists need to be able to book a flight and buy airplane tickets, reserve a room in a hotel, arrange a trip with a travel agency or bargain at a traditional market for souvenirs which they want to buy.

Today, towns or cities that become tourists destinations have been considered as good places for learning languages. In Ubud and Kuta of Bali island, where thousands of international travelers visit every day, English language schools operate and provide programs both to local students and international ones. The English speaking environment in these towns greatly supports the students in their efforts on mastering the English and other foreign languages.

Alternative Tourism