How to navigate different cultures as a host

Spending time with people from different countries and cultures is a wonderfully rewarding experience. It doesn’t come without its challenges though – especially when there’s the added pressure of looking after them!

In order to make your guests feel welcome, whether it’s in your home or as you provide a tour of your local area, it’s useful to pay attention to their cultural background, as chances are it’ll decide how they interpret the things you show them.. Each guest will certainly have their own experiences that they’ll be delighted to share with you too, that’s part of the fun of it.

Here are some tips we’ve picked up to help make their experience with you (and yours with them!) an enjoyable one.

Contents: 

1. Do some research

2. Be respectful

3. Makse sure to communicate

4. Understand their requirements

5. Be curious

6. Make yourself a handbook

7. Make a guestbook

8. Don’t worry about mistakes

9. Everyone’s an individual

10. Learn some phrases

1. Do some research

Prior to your guest’s arrival, research what you can about your visitors’ culture, traditions and customs. Having an idea of what environment they’re used to, and what type of behaviour they expect will be a sure-fire hit. It can also be a good conversation starter if you know a few things about where they’re from and can make you more empathetic to their requirements and ensure the chances of a good first impression. If they’re coming to a big city from a small town for example they may take a bit of adjusting, so it’s helpful to be conscious of their background.

2. Be respectful

Be open minded in your approach and discussions with your guest. Avoid leaping to cultural conclusions and try not to bring any preconceived ideas to your conversations. As you know, travel and understanding different perspectives is an incredible way to broaden your own horizons and interpret the world afresh.

3. Makse sure to communicate

If there is a bit of a language gap, it can be easy for intentions to be misconstrued. Try not to use jargon or slang – or if you do, explain what you mean. Your guest(s) will hopefully want to learn from you just as much as you want to learn from them! Some of our tips are to be patient, make use of body language and hand gestures to allude to things, and to speak slowly so your guest can catch what you say.

Sometimes language gaps can make small things fun, with different names for objects. Have you ever asked a Vietnamese person what their name for Kangaroo is? Or what refrigerator is in Cantonese?

4. Understand their requirements

Many cultures have different culinary requirements, and some might have specific requests regarding accommodation. Doing your research and making arrangements to support this will be a great boost to you and your guest’s experience, you can always ask them as you chat before their arrival. There’s no pressure to be able to accommodate every requirement, if you’re not able then just be sure to communicate this ahead of their arrival.

5. Be curious

Hopefully your guests will be looking forward to sharing their background and culture with you as much as they’re excited about experiencing yours. Consider what you’re most intrigued about and ask open-ended questions to kick off conversations. You can check out our blog post being the host with the most for some more tips around this as well as some conversation starts..

6. Make yourself a handbook

If you’re hosting regularly, you could create a handbook with information and questions you want to ask about different parts of the world, to allow you a quick reference and guide for you when they arrive. You could also include different cultural holidays, in case there’s an opportunity to help a guest celebrate.

7. Make a guestbook

It’s always helpful to send a list of potential sights and activities prior to your guest’s arrival, but why not go the extra mile and make a guide book or list for your guests that they can take around with them. If you really want to push the boat out you could provide a translated version via Google Translate.. It gives your guests an instant sense of direction to point them towards the bests spots – we’d certainly encourage you to go together too if you can.

8. Don’t worry about mistakes

Even with all the research in the world, you’re bound to make a small mistake here or there. Your guest will be understanding, especially with all the effort you’ve put in. It might even help make a bond between you.

9. Everyone’s an individual

Regardless of their beliefs and any cultural differences, we’re all people. In this situation especially, you’re part of the same journey and after similar experiences. The people you host will potentially have lived hugely varied lives but the core tenets will remain the same.

10. Learn some phrases

You don’t need to become fluent in a language – but even knowing a few basic phrases, such as hello, thank you and goodbye show you’ve made an effort. This is also the opportunity to learn new words and phrases from your guests, even if you speak the same language, chances are you’ll have different cultural phrases and dare we say it swear words. That’s not to mention there are the cognitive benefits of learning a language – perhaps it could be the start of your journey to becoming a polyglot!

Being a host can be an enriching and wonderful way of travelling the world without leaving your home. You may even make some lasting friendships, and potentially look forward to your hospitality being reciprocated. Approach it with an open mind and you will enjoy a wonderful experience.

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