Communication technologies like the aforementioned have helped create some memorable experiences with some of those guests like cooking dueling dinners with a mother and daughter from Hong Kong.

I don’t have a Pocketalk, but as an AirBnB host, I frequently have to break out the Google Translator app while interacting with many of my Asian and European guests. What would have been a silent taxi ride turned into a convo about Japanese food, culture, etc. Got the chance to use a handheld translation device while traveling through Japan and was honestly blown away. What would have been a silent taxi ride turned into a convo about Japanese food, culture, etc.” Ciara acquired a Pocketalk for her trip, a standalone translation device that “puts the power of two-way voice translation in your pocket” with “highly accurate translations for 74 different languages.” ” got the chance to use a handheld translation device while traveling through Japan and was honestly blown away. During a taxi ride in Japan, she was better equipped.

“Like, I spent 3 hours trying to do laundry in China this year because of the language barrier,” she recently tweeted. Travel blogger Ciara Johnson knows firsthand the benefits of using a translator while abroad. Technology like this helps bypass language barriers, enabling more immersive travel experiences for explorers passionate about taking in the local scene over the guided tours, blogger suggestions and concierge recommendations. That’s why Google’s translator app is one of the more useful tools traveler can download. But of course not everyone has hundreds of hours to focus on learning Yoruba, Mandarin, Danish or Spanish before their next big adventure. And the more in-depth your communication, the more that access widens. Need directions? Struggling ordering from a restaurant menu? Wondering where your change from that drink went? Communication enables access. Seasoned travelers are adept enough to navigate foreign lands without speaking the language, but multilingual travelers know speaking the native tongue can enhance your experience abroad tenfold.

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