No abstract

The key issues underpinning this article are increasing globalization, development and expansion of the European Union, and the ease of and demand for international travel. These factors collectively are generating greater numbers of international travellers and thus an increasing recognition of the need for multilingual staff. This is perhaps most manifest in the service industries and, it is argued, particularly in tourism. The availability of multilingual staff is, partly at least, a function of education. This article examines the role and position of foreign languages skills in undergraduate tourism management degree courses. The findings of an investigation into the attitudes and perceptions of students of such courses in relation to the study of foreign languages are presented, complemented by the outcomes of a survey of tourism employers. While it is established that the development of foreign languages skills is recognized as an invaluable outcome of these courses, it is surprising that their acquisition is not always compulsory. Limitations in the study of languages are identified as well as key differences between the perceptions of students and those of employers, which highlight critical issues and the need for further research.

This article presents the findings of a study catalysed by the outcomes of research into the attitudes and perceptions of UK undergraduate students of tourism management in relation to the need for foreign language skills, reported and discussed in a previous paper in this journal (Leslie et al, 2002). While that earlier study paid some attention to employers, it did so to a limited extent and therefore subsequent research was undertaken to investigate UK employers' attitudes to, and the need for, foreign language skills. This involved a survey of a diverse range of tourism enterprises, representative of the sector, drawn from across the UK. While the findings reveal few variations among different categories of enterprise in the sector, significant variations were found in attitudes and needs both within categories and more generally. Overall, there is a demand for foreign language skills and there are evident gaps in the marketplace – for example, the language skills that are available and difficulties in recruitment. Furthermore, employers generally were found to be reluctant to promote and support the development of these skills on the job. In concluding, the authors argue that the gaps in the marketplace are compounded by the lack of attention to the development of foreign language skills within tourism management education programmes and the lack of articulation of these needs, and wider commitment to them, by tourism-sector employers. All this brings into question just how well positioned tourism enterprises are in the UK to maintain their existing markets, let alone develop them in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

Deplores the decline of domestic trips, in the short‐term, in the UK, owing to various prohibitive events taking place such as petrol strike action, foot and mouth and even the 9/11 atrocity. The vulnerability of tourism in the face of such events, to a particular destination, means the tourism sector must be competitive as there are many more places to go. Posits the UK’s backward position with regard to language skills among both tourism enterprises and organizations. Concludes UK tourism as a whole will continue to be under attack unless simple things such as foreign language skills are properly addressed.

No abstract