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In every country and in every culture, there are generally valid greeting words and behaviours. For travellers, they are an important door opener to the people and the host country. When spoken in a friendly manner, travellers usually receive a warm smile or even a beaming face. All over the world, people are happy to be greeted in their local language. This is possible if travellers have already familiarized themselves with the culture and tradition of the destination country before the trip. And learning a few words, including the greeting in the local language is no big deal. Every good travel guide contains a few pages of language courses. This is easy to use when buying water at the supermarket or fruit at the farmer’s market and of course when having dinner at a local restaurant. Or you can help yourself with a translator app installed on your smartphone.

Susanne, Planet B’s product manager, has been learning the most important words in the respective language(s) before every trip. This often results in a nice conversation right at the beginning of the trip about different greetings in the different regions of the country. People usually also ask how the relevant rituals in your home country, what greeting formulas there are, etc. Such intercultural conversations form the basis of an unforgettable trip. Especially if you travel with a local tour guide – in a small group or privately – you learn a lot about the tradition of the host country over the course of the trip. What you have learned can be used to gain sympathy during spontaneous encounters with locals. Children, usually shy and reserved, are extremely proud when they can use the English language skills they acquired at school and, in turn, understand the foreign guest. If your own vocabulary in the foreign language is not (yet) sufficient for detailed conversations, local tour guides (or an app) will help you to translate. As mediators between cultures, tour guides are valuable bridge builders with the local population.

Susanne (Planet B) talks about her first experiences: “In 1993, when I travelled to an Arab country (Yemen) for the first time, I not only learned the most important words and even small sentences before departure, I also learned ordering food without onion “please without onion” in Arabic because I have an allergy to this allium plant. The Yemenis were very impressed – and assumed that I could speak their language. A barrage of words with accompanying facial expressions and gestures rained down on me each time, followed by a look of surprise in their eyes because my reaction was not the one, they expected. But immediately afterwards the situation was understood, and we all laughed heartily together. Laughing is universal. Laughing brings people together.” Whether in Europe, Asia, Africa or Latin America, people everywhere are happy when you appreciate them and express this appreciation by engaging with their culture. According to Planet B’s motto: the world is looking forward to welcoming you.