No need to get tongue-tied
Booking.com reveals top 10 most sought-after phrases travelers say they’d benefit from knowing in local translation during the first day of their trip
- “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” one of the top phrases travelers want to be able to use in the language of the destination they’re visiting
- Booking.com assists travelers by translating the top 10 phrases into some of the most popular languages
Embracing vacations for what they typically stand for – switching off, relaxation and seeing the sights – doesn’t appear to be the case for many travelers. When Booking.com questioned over 18,000 people worldwide on what were the top phrases they’d want to know immediately in the language of the country they’re visiting, results revealed that we’re internet addicts, with “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” one of the most popular.
The top 10 phrases most in demand are:
- “What’s the best way to get into town / downtown?” (46%)
- “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” (43%)
- “What time is breakfast?” (41%)
- “Where can I get the best meal?” (40%)
- “Where’s the bathroom?” (25%)
- “Bring me somewhere awesome” (22%)
- “I need coffee” (21%)
- “I can’t remember my room number” (11%)
- “Can I request an early check in?” (11%)
- “Where’s the closest pharmacy?” (10%)
When looking at gender preferences, we’re a predictable bunch, with women far more likely than men to want to know where the bathroom is (29% of women to 21% of men), yet men are more interesting in knowing what time the bar opens (13% of men versus 7% of women)!
Empowering people to experience the world, Booking.com has translated the top phrases into some key languages, to ensure travelers can successfully get their caffeine fix, find something great to eat and stay connected from the moment they arrive.
English | Spanish | French | Italian |
“What’s the best way to get into town / downtown?” | ¿Cuál es la mejor manera de llegar al centro? | Quel est le meilleur moyen de se rendre en ville / en centre-ville ? | Qual è il modo migliore per raggiungere la città/il centro città?” |
“What’s the Wi-Fi password?” | ¿Cuál es la contraseña del WiFi? | Quel est le mot de passe du Wi-Fi | “Qual è la password del WiFi” |
“What time is breakfast?” | ¿A qué hora es el desayuno? | À quelle heure est servi le petit-déjeuner ? | “A che ora è la colazione?” |
“Where can I get the best meal?” | ¿Dónde se come mejor? | Où mange-t-on le mieux | “Qual è il posto migliore per mangiare?” |
“Where’s the bathroom?” | ¿Dónde está el baño? | Où sont les toilettes | “Dov’è il bagno?” |
“Bring me somewhere awesome” | Llévame a un lugar increíble | Indiquez-moi un endroit magnifique. | “Voglio vedere un bel posto” |
“I need coffee” | Necesito un café | Il me faut un café ! | “Ho bisogno di un caffè” |
“I can’t remember my room number | No recuerdo el número de mi habitación | J’ai oublié mon numéro de chambre. | “Non ricordo il numero della mia camera” |
“Can I request an early check in?” | ¿Podría hacer el check-in antes? | Est-il possible d’arriver plus tôt ? | “Vorrei richiedere il check-in anticipato” |
“Where’s the closest pharmacy?” | ¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana? | Où se trouve la pharmacie la plus proche ? | “Dov’è la farmacia più vicina?” |
NOTES TO EDITORS
Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a nationally representative sample, provided by Research Now. In total 18,496 respondents were surveyed (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan). Respondents completed an online survey between 27th April and 15th May 2017.