Have you noticed the grandiose description of tour and hotels in some travel magazines? It's Marketing 101. Grabbing your attention, then based on their alluring vocabulary, enticing you to select whatever product they are promoting. Here are a few courtesy of Mac Seligman, comparing the “travelese” with a more unadorned and frank description:
- Motorcoach: bus
- Deluxe motorcoach: bus with clean windows
- Panoramic vista: a long way from town
- Secluded hideaway: impossible to find
- Warmed by the Gulf Stream: cold
- Cooled by the Humbolt Current: hot
- Old World charm: no bath
- All the amenities: free shower cap
- Carefree natives: terrible service
- Exquisite cuisine: limited menu
- And much, much more: That's about all there is
Then, there are some signs in other countries, although well intentioned; let's just say they're “Lost in Translation”.
- At a Paris hotel: “Please leave your values at the desk”
- A Zurich hotel: “Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose”
- A Japanese hotel: “You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid”
- An Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water served here”
- An airline office in Copenhagen: We take your bags and send them in all directions”
Not that we in the states have a command of any language.
- What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bi-lingual
- What do you call a person who speaks three languages? Tri-lingual
- What do you call a person who speaks one language? An American
And lastly, a sign prominently displayed in a Notting Hill store window: “English spoken; American understood”
It's fun to take a light-hearted jab at some of these colorful “catch words.” But at Avanti, we strive to provide accurate information regarding our hotels and tours. Okay, we'll throw in some buzz words like“cute” and “romantic”, while at the same time, not going overboard with flowery and convoluted descriptions. We achieve this by the results of on-site visits by our staff, as well as relying on our local operators. And just as important; feedback from you, the Avanti client.
