Marketing to international tourists in foreign languages : An investigation into the challenges faced by tourism service providers in Finland when marketing to international tourists in foreign languages

Abstract

The subject matter, topic and aim of this study are best summed up by the main research questions the study seeks to answer, namely what are the key challenges faced by tourism service providers in Finland when marketing to and communicating with international tourists, and what solutions have tourism service providers in Finland found to address the linguistic challenges faced when marketing to and serving international tourists? The study adopts a qualitative research method, carried out by conducting a series of semi-structured interviews with a select number of experienced tourism industry professionals. The interviews, conducted in May 2023, identified six major themes: International tourists: target markets and segments; Digital marketing and content creation; Working with online portals and booking sites; Cooperation with DMOs and trade organisations; Cooperation with other companies; In-house skills and resources. The results of the study were analysed using a theoretical framework based on four key concepts chosen by the author: the internationalisation of tourism services, the promotion of tourism services, marketing strategy, and marketing communication. The study concluded that the main challenge Finnish tourism service providers face is attracting large numbers of international tourists, and the main reason for that, as reported by the participants themselves, is a lack of resources and a lack of skills within their organisations. Hiring more staff may seem like an obvious solution, but respondents reported a range of innovative solutions to overcoming these challenges, from cooperation with other companies, individuals, and organisations, to extensive and creative use of online booking systems and portals.