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Role of English in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industry

(Joseph. T. C. &. R. G. Munghate, S G M Arts & Science College, Kurkheda)

Introduction
Being the most widely used global language, English has been exerting a tremendous
influence on all walks of modern man’s life and playing an unsurpassed role in various spheres
of his life. These comprise, among others, travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, in all of
which the use of English has become an imperative need and much more than mere ostentation.
The reverberations of the impact of English are being felt in the newly emerged knowledge
economy as also in the traditional scientific, engineering, academic, and technological arenas.
Besides, mass-media, library, banking, computer, internet, and a host of other fields also make
vast use of English. With its ever-growing importance, the role of English in travel, tourism and
hospitality industry has been assuming greater significance, and also undergoing some functional
changes.

The Multi-faceted Role of English

It is not easy to enlist the numerous roles English is currently playing. Within the
constraints of a paper like this, we are constricted only to dwell on its tangible and conspicuous
roles. The more remarkable functional roles English plays, from among the complex matrix of its
manifold roles, can be identified as follows:

1. Communicative/Interactive Role

When people travel from place to place or embark on a tour, they come across people of
different linguistic backgrounds and naturally they have to communicate with these people, if the
purpose of their travelling, or touring activities has to be fructified. Although communication can
take place through written language yet, it is the spoken form aided by the body language that is
used more frequently for communicative purposes than any other modes. But the problem arises
when the tourists and travellers are ignorant of the languages used by the natives of the places
visited.

In such cases, there is only one option left, and that is but using a common linguistic
medium known to both the parties—the visitors and the visited. That medium, in all likelihood,
in the present world situation, is none other than English, because among the numerous
languages used in the different parts of the world, it is English that is most extensively used in
the world presently. Its coverage is so vast that not many countries are ignorant of, and illiterate
in English. So when English comes handy, it can be used for easy and effective communication
or interaction in a multi-lingual situation. Hence, it has to be learned as best as possible so that
proper oral and written communication can be carried on without any disconcerting hitch. And
learning English, in the true sense, calls for commitment and hard work.

2. Integrative Role

Since the global situation is a medley of numerous races, languages, cultures, classes,
religions, castes, geographical divisions, ideologies, etc, realizing world unity is extremely
difficult. Mistrust, suspicion, misunderstanding, rivalry and jealousy are highly insidious forces
surreptitiously at work and occasionally stupefying us when they rear their ugly, Hydra-like
heads in such palpable forms as cross-border terrorism, economic sanctions, violence, cold war,
disputes and dissensions, nuclear arms-race, the never-quenching avarice of the developed and
developing countries to pile-up huge stores of lethal weapons targeting at the potential and real
enemy countries. These are global menaces threatening our very existence and point to the
sombre possibility of a potential annihilation of human race when we are counting our days here
on our beautiful but seemingly ill-fated planet, under the ever-growing dangers of a nuclear
holocaust looming large. All these damage beyond repair the fine fabric of world social order,
global unity and universal security. Common unifying factors are crucial in such situations to
strengthen the bonds of humanity among people and foster amity. ‘A single language for all’ is a
noble idea which can enfold the peoples of the world under a single bower and integrate them
into a unified community. All the differences can be sorted out, ideas can be shared and activities
chalked out for a better future under the magic spell of a common language. English has been
playing this integrative role for a long time now and that, too, much more than any other
language in the world. When people set out on travels and tours, they confront with these
diversities but English helps integrate all into a single family, aids free mingling, and bring about
the much-desired solidarity.

Again those employed in hospitality industry such as air hostesses, those personnel in
standard and star hotels receiving and entertaining tourists and travellers from distant places,
those employed in the foreign embassy such as diplomats and ambassadors, Foreign Secretaries
of nations, and all those officials associated with travel, tourism and other hospitality activities
find English the most convenient medium to interact with foreigners and many natives
belonging to different linguistic communities. English enables them to engage in polite
exchanges and come closer to one another effecting national and international integration. But
what is required is to learn and use with facility all those English formulaic expressions which
are indicative of politeness and good manners. In other words, the functional knowledge of
English and its contextual usages should be mastered well by all those in cross-border mobility,
and also associated with hospitality industry. Language functions like: making polite requests,
offering help etc are very crucial in hospitality industry. For, the personnel in such industries
have to be extremely polite, tactful, warm, and profuse in their expressions exhibiting the least
indifference and annoyance. Their language should be the least offensive and the most pleasing.
Knowledge of Pragmatics is highly useful for such people. Pragmatics, which is an emerging
branch of language study, focuses on language use in particular contexts in linguistic
communities. It examines the meanings based on contextual usages, intonation, relationship
between the speaker and the listener, their attitudes, hidden meanings etc.

3. Lingua-franca Role

Different linguistic states have different languages and so it is not easy for the travellers and
tourists to learn all these languages and engage in easy communicative activities. A common
link-language/lingua-franca can be beneficially used by those in mobility to communicate with
one another and disburden themselves of the herculean task of learning a large number of
languages. Here English comes to the rescue and facilitates easy and effective communication,
because it is taught in most universities and institutions the world over. Today, Ancient Greek
and Latin, as well as French, still retain some of their elite status, but “English is the de facto
language of international communication” (Tsuda, 1999, p. 153). The advantage of this situation
is particularly for the English people and the Americans. But it has serious drawbacks, too, as
they don’t have to learn another language, and learning another language in addition to one’s
own language is a healthy mental exercise and one that helps a person to have deeper insights
into one’s own language as well as effecting better intercultural communication.

Despite the obvious advantages and positive aspects of English as a lingua-franca, Judith
and Nakayama are wary of the lingua franca role of English: “Learning a foreign language is
never easy, of course, but the dominance of English as the lingua franca raises important issues
for intercultural communication:

What is the relationship between our four touchstones and this contemporary linguistic
situation? That is, how do culture, communication, power, and context play out in the
domination of English? First, the intimate connections between language and culture mean that
the diffusion of English is tied to the spread of U.S American culture around the world. Is this a
new form of colonialism? If we consider issues of power, what role does the Unites States play
in the domination of English on the world scene? How does this marginalize or disempower
those who are not fluent in English in intercultural communication? What kinds of resentment
might be fostered by forcing people to recognize their disempowerment?

In what intercultural contexts is it appropriate to assume that others speak English? For
English speakers, this is a particularly unique context. Latvians, for example, cannot attend
international meetings and assume that others will speak Latvian; and Albanians will have
difficulty transacting international trade if they assume that others know their language.” (Judith
& Nakayama, 2004, p. 228) Thus, this lingua franca role of English cannot be said to be an
unadulterated blessing, but one with possible lurking dangers, whose verity time will disclose
eventually.

4. Relation-Fostering Role
 English language can strengthen relationships globally through its unifying power.
Language, through its power of communication brings people on a common platform of
humanity. People begin to feel that they belong to the common family of mankind despite the
peripheral and superficial differences. It enables them sacrifice their narrow, parochial interests
on the altar of humanity. It prompts them open up their hearts and pour forth their pent-up
emotions and finally iron out their differences, if any , and share emotions of joy, wonder,
satisfaction, disgust, anger, frustration, resentment, admiration, love, fear, etc., while on a tour
and coming across diverse groups of people and in strikingly different situations. Further,
thoughtful sharing of ideas and concerns through the common medium of English can cement
their relationships and dispel unwarranted fears. This builds up their reciprocal faith which
boosts good relationships. When people of hostile linguistic communities chance to meet one
another, English can be a welcome relief to enter into easy communication activities and forget
their differences, at least for a while. It opens up new vistas of understanding and more such
meetings of more members of the same states promote mutual respect and bring about better
perceptional changes, finally resulting in healthier relationships. In the multi-cultural global set-
up a common language like English can bring together people of all cultural groups and
strengthen their relationships through dialogue and discussions. Hence English can build healthy
relations on a global level through English which other languages are incapacitated to.

5. Economic/Business Role

It is not merely during travel, tourism and hospitality that English language seems to be of
assistance but during economic and business transactions as well. Those on the move, either
propelled by entertainment purposes or profit motives, naturally have economic matters of grave
import. Through its global communicability, intelligibility and universal acceptability, English
helps not only international trade and other economic transactions to be conducted in an easier
manner but inter personal economic dealings as well. Even internal trade is also smoothly carried
out in a multi-linguistic set-up with the help of English. Businessmen occasionally travel on
business purposes to different states. Under linguistic plurality, it is mainly through English that
they have their contracts, agreements, and transactions drafted and fulfilled without confusion.
Even tourists buy many things while they are on tours. It is English that facilitates their dealings.
Again, most banking activities are also carried out through English. This makes financial and
business dealings much smoother, too.

6. Functional Roles

When a person moves about in strange and unknown lands, he/she has to seek information,
every now and then, of various matters such as accommodation, food, destinations, shopping
items, places of interest, historical backgrounds of the places visited, facilities available at
different places, people to contact, etc. Being ignorant of the foreign tongue/s of the place,
seeking information can be realized only through the common medium of English. Not only
seeking information, but also giving information is also through English, thus, bringing a lot of
relief and solace to the travellers in unknown countries. If travel is for a given purpose, tour is for
entertainment and fun; hospitality is extended from cultural point of view and sometimes shown
with the ulterior motive of mere expediency. But it is essentially a manifestation of civilization
and goodwill. And in all these cases, English has a major role to play as the international
language.

Various contextualized language functions such as ‘offering help, seeking information,

asking for advice, seeking permission, making requests, asking for directions, making inquiries,
greeting, introducing, making complaints’, etc., all can be effectively carried out through the
common medium called English. In the absence of such a medium, only chaos and confusion
would prevail in the word and very few would venture to undertake long, tedious and risky
journeys outside their own countries. For in the absence of linguistic exchanges, rather than
resorting to gestures and facial expressions, civilized persons are likely to prefer silence, but
silence is painful and frightening after a point. In such cases, the remedy is to be braced up with
adequate mastery of English and through that glean information, and engage in free conversation
reasserting one’s gregariousness.

Conclusion
To conclude, in the global era, playing its multifarious roles, English has been reasserting
its ‘World Language’ status which no other language as yet could command, nor lay claim to.
Beyond doubt, the impact of English is all-pervasive now. Some of the important roles played
by English, as discussed in the foregoing analysis, point to the ever-growing relevance and
importance of English. Good working knowledge of English signals a much brighter future and
ensures easy mobility and suave communication skills for travellers, tourists, and for all those
engaged in hospitality industry. But in our unqualified admiration for the greatness of English,
we should not be blind to the possibility of a hidden, neo-colonial agenda, and an ulterior neo-
imperialistic political motive as adumbrated by writers like Judith, Nakayama and Tsuda, not to
mention the genuine fears of the advocates of Post-Colonialism!

References
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