English for Tourism A Shift from Theory to Praxis

Abstract

The tourism industry in Saudi Arabia has grown significantly along with its workforce, especially Aseer region, since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030. English language skills are essential for the tourism industry's development. Hence, developing English language materials for those who work in the Saudi Arabian tourism industry is necessary. The present research sought to assess the communication requirements of this workforce in English. This current study is divided into two phases. The first phase consists of an interview conducted with the professionals working in the tourism sector in the Aseer region. The second phase consists of a survey questionnaire that was created and distributed among the professionals teaching at the undergraduate level at a public university in Abha, Saudi Arabia. The results showed that Listening and Speaking abilities were determined to be crucial for their line of work, especially when it came to comprehending directives and specifications and giving information about tourist destinations. An ESP teaching approach and suitable training programs are suggested to train the employees at the study's conclusion to address the English language communicative needs of Saudi Arabia's tourism industry workers, particularly in the Aseer region.