The travel industry is based on the anticipation of needs; where your company’s success is determined by your ability to predict desires and service customers better and faster than your competitors.
The players are curators of dreams, providers of both information and inspiration. From jaw-dropping influencer travel posts to full itineraries and information-packed audio tours, the industry is overflowing with the need for localization. Understanding so many aspects of localization and dealing with the intricate nuances of language solutions might get a little overwhelming at times. It is best to keep a good track of industry trends and decide accordingly. For example, without any doubt audio is the next big thing right now. From voice-based bot guides to international podcasts- audio is taking over the online travel market everywhere.
The key to success is finding the right team who fully understands the nuances of localizing, ensuring that they maintain the original intent and voice while adding the cultural awareness and sensitivity required. Professional localization of your content ensures that your content isn’t lost in translation. This is where Andovar stands heads above the rest.
At Andovar, we implement a predefined process of organizing and executing localization, employing translators, experts, content reviewers, and a rigorous approval process at every stage. Employing the latest in studio recording technologies, our professional audio directors and language monitors ensure quality at the studio-production stage. We also apply a strict quality check at the end of our post-production process, ensuring all of the final audio files have been processed, named, and split correctly. With Andovar’s highly skilled team, we provide you with specialized content and help you gain that global traction you’ve been vying for.
The Market
According to the World Tourism Organisation, international tourist arrivals grew by 6% in the first six months of 2018, compared to the same period last year. It is an impressive growth, and rightfully so, as the industry rapidly capitalized on the dawning of the Internet, being one of the first to create an entirely online marketing and sales funnel.
As the digital age continues to forge ahead at lightning fast speeds, travel-industry players looking to gain a competitive edge need the flexibility of a master yogi and the adaptability of a solo-traveling millennial in order to meet the increasing demands of a multilingual, culturally diverse global market.
Now, more than ever, consumers are getting savvy, wanting to educate themselves before making a purchasing decision. What’s more, it’s never been easier for them to access this information; Google searches, apps, online reviews, and social media influencer posts provide instant information and advice. And if you’re looking to globalize, you’ll need to provide customized, relevant information in the palm of their hands. To capture their attention, you’ll need to speak their language.
According to Think with Google, travel-related searches for “tonight” and “today” have grown over 150% on mobile devices over the past two years. Not only that, but 57% of U.S. travelers are looking for tailored information and 36% would be likely to pay more for the services. Oliver Heckmann, Google’s VP of engineering for travel and shopping, sums it up well:
“People don’t just want faster access to information—they want better, more personalized experiences,” he states. “If I were to pull out my phone and search for a nearby hotel or restaurant, I’d expect the information I find to be tailored to me based on my location, time of day, and maybe even past interests."
This is clearly an industry with a tech-savvy, global audience, and as such, localization is imperative to mitigating cultural sensitivity and gaining access to new markets as we laid out in Exploring Various Aspects of AV Localization. It’s about customizing content to target audiences in a specific market. As proven by McDonald’s and other corporate giants, localization is the only way to globalization.
But with an unending web of content that needs to be localized, where do you focus? You pay attention to what people are paying attention to—audio. Peaking in popularity, audio guides are becoming to travellers what podcasts are to commuters; information is conveniently fed right through your earbuds, allowing you to listen when and how you like. It is a nice revenue stream, easily duplicated at very low cost, and, with smartphones in every pocket and no need for any additional devices, there is nothing impeding its growth.
Let Andovar localize for you and help your company scale on an international level. Andovar’s recording studios are equipped with high-end software and hardware, and with a long list of trusted and tried voice talents, we can translate to almost any language and have the expertise to lead your localization efforts. We are headquartered in Singapore and have offices across Asia, the USA, and the UK. Get in touch, request a quote or chat with us online, and find out how we can help you scale to new heights.
