I recently returned from a tour of 6 European countries during which I had time to think about the cultural nuances of each. While English was widely spoken and all the countries I visited boasted a patina of international sophistication and used a common currency (the euro), each also had its own language not to mention its own local architectural style and regional mealtime favorites. Even their local music was unique to itself.

These nuances got me thinking about my 40 years with Marriott International in which I had made similar observations in the 150 countries I visited. It reinforced once again for me that cultures evolve over time because of the local geography, historical context, religious beliefs and shared experiences of the local residents.

You might wonder what’s the big deal about Culture and the answer is simple. Culture shapes the way people view and understand the world, what they find humorous, what they value, to whom they are loyal and what they fear. It’s the social bond that ties them together. It impacts lifestyle and monitors standards of behavior. It influences the personal distance we maintain during a conversation, our overall body language and the degree of physical contact made during communication.

Failure to acknowledge the power of Culture in virtually all human interaction and to understand the cultural background of the person you hope to forge a relationship with can block your efforts altogether. It can kill any hope of negotiating an agreement or of maintaining mutual respect for each other.
At the Orange County Visitors Association here in Southern California, we take Culture very seriously. One of our prime sales and marketing objectives is to substantially grow our international visitor base. To this end, we’re all committed to ensuring that travelers from abroad have an exceptionally positive experience while visiting our shops, restaurants, hotels, beaches and attractions so that when they return home, they, in turn, will tell their friends and colleagues about all that’s terrific in The OC.

So that Orange County’s business owners, local residents, city officials and hospitality professionals can confidently extend the warm welcome for which they’re renowned, we are now producing a series of free, 30-minute cultural training videos about the culture of our target markets. These videos cover everything from the traveler’s cultural foundation to how to extend proper greetings, business etiquette and pitfalls to avoid.