Intercultural Communication in Tourism Enterprises of Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden during the COVID-19 Pandemic - Acta Universitatis Sapientiae

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Philologica, 15, 3 (2023) 86–103

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ausp-2023-0028

Abstract. The paper analyses intercultural communication problems in tourism enterprises of Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. It gives an overview of intercultural theories and their application to the characteristics of employees in three countries. The methodology includes both primary and secondary types of research: analysis of scientific literature and qualitative research. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted in three countries. The results show cultural peculiarities typical to each country and provide possible solutions to intercultural problems. The research aims to examine intercultural communication problems in tourism and hospitality enterprises and to identify types of strategies and actions required to develop intercultural communicative competence and to solve intercultural communication problems. The article provides company profiles, describes intercultural difficulties encountered and the designed employee-assessment questionnaire. The research findings may be of interest to tourism industry representatives and higher education institution stakeholders, including academic personnel and students who study intercultural communication as an important discipline in the tourism faculty.

Keywords: intercultural communication, intercultural communicative competence, cultural dimensions, tourism and hospitality enterprises, COVID-19 pandemic