Welcoming the World

Outstanding customer service for international visitors

Every year, London really does 'welcome the world', with 15 million international visitors in our hotels, bars, restaurants, shops, tourist attractions and transport network. It can be a challenge to know what kind of customer service visitors expect and how to communicate with them - in English or a foreign language.

Welcoming the World was funded by the London Development Agency until March 2010 and is now delivered by Talking to the World.

Welcoming the World is a programme to help you provide outstanding customer service. It aims to give you the confidence, knowledge and understanding to go that extra mile when delivering services to customers who are from other cultures and speak other languages - and to make their stay memorable. We can help you to:

Learn about other countries and cultures and their expectations of customer service
Understand cultural differences and the things that may cause offence or misunderstandings
Adapt the way you communicate and behave to help your customers feel at ease
Know how to communicate clearly in English
Use your foreign language skills and learn key phrases in the languages of your customers

Welcoming the World training

Find out about Welcoming the World customer service training on the Talking to the World website.

Welcoming the World resources

Explore a sample of our resources - which include country profiles, audio foreign language phrases and promotional materials. A full range of resources is available on the Talking to the World website.

You can also find out more in our March 2010 project update.