Introduction
“Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” is a lexicographic resource dealing with a variety of issues in marine tourism settings. It is based on data of the study conducted at Sultan Qabood University supported by Humanities Research Centre and Sultan Qaboos University internal grant. The study aimed to identify key English, Arabic and German terminology on marine tourism, and examine their similarities and differences, thus providing a platform for the optimal presentation of the key terminology in the form of a multilingual resource.
“Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” draws upon knowledge and expertise of Sultan Qaboos University’s academics, researchers and practitioners from different disciplines related to English, German and Arabic marine tourism terminology. The focus on the terminology of marine tourism originates from its status as one of the fastest growing areas within the world’s largest tourism industry. In addition, the marine environment has long been one of the most attractive tourism settings of the sultanate. Every year it attracts thousands of tourists from the Gulf countries and from all over the world. Yet despite increased awareness of economic and environmental significance of marine tourism, there is not yet any substantial body of research of its linguistic support to cater the needs of the industry, academia, and the diverse multicultural and multilingual tourist population.
To compile this glossary was not an easy task. One of the biggest challenges was finding an exact definition for marine tourism that can clearly disaggregate it from general tourism and identify the size and scope of this sector.[1] The size of the terms that are involved marine tourism was deduced by the authors from a number of parameters and characteristics by examining words related to recreational activities. According to Mark Orams (1999), marine tourism includes variety recreational activities that involve travel away from one’s place of residence and which have as their host or focus the marine environment.[2] Thus, “Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” includes a wide spectrum of activities in the context of marine tourism in Oman, such as dolphin watching, scuba diving and snorkeling, wind surfing, fishing, observing marine mammals and birds, the cruise ship and ferry industry, all beach activities, sea kayaking, maritime museums, hotels, sailing and motor yachting, and maritime events. These activities are presented in the “Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” by English terms, which are supported by definitions, transcriptions, equivalent German and Arabic terms, and examples from documents and texts about marine tourism in Oman. Some of the terms are illustrated by the photos taken by students and faculty of Sultan Qaboos University.
The success of understanding English, German and Arabic terminology on marine tourism depends on the ability to make up clear conceptual relationships between the terms within one language and across the languages. The authors hope that being developed in such a framework, “Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” will be useful in facilitating communication in the field of marine tourism and will help to remove some of the language barriers in achieving academic success for our students. It is also expected that this glossary will be a valuable reference source and will facilitate terminology standardization, leading to reduction of work required in communicating knowledge about marine tourism in Oman.
Victoria Tuzlukova, Sergei Dobretsov, Saleh Al-Busaidi, Andrea Wenke and Abdullah Al-Maani
[1] Basiron, M.N. (1997). Marine tourism industry – trends and prospects. Paper presented at the National Seminar on the Development of Marine Tourism Industry in South East Asia at Langkawi (25-27 September, 1997). Retrieved November 27th, 2013 from http://fama2.us.es:8080/turismo/turismonet1/economia%20del%20turismo/turismo%20de%20costas/marine%20tourism%20industry%20in%20Malaysia.pdf.
[2] Orams, M. (1999). Marine tourism: Development, impacts and management. Routledge: London.
“Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” draws upon knowledge and expertise of Sultan Qaboos University’s academics, researchers and practitioners from different disciplines related to English, German and Arabic marine tourism terminology. The focus on the terminology of marine tourism originates from its status as one of the fastest growing areas within the world’s largest tourism industry. In addition, the marine environment has long been one of the most attractive tourism settings of the sultanate. Every year it attracts thousands of tourists from the Gulf countries and from all over the world. Yet despite increased awareness of economic and environmental significance of marine tourism, there is not yet any substantial body of research of its linguistic support to cater the needs of the industry, academia, and the diverse multicultural and multilingual tourist population.
To compile this glossary was not an easy task. One of the biggest challenges was finding an exact definition for marine tourism that can clearly disaggregate it from general tourism and identify the size and scope of this sector.[1] The size of the terms that are involved marine tourism was deduced by the authors from a number of parameters and characteristics by examining words related to recreational activities. According to Mark Orams (1999), marine tourism includes variety recreational activities that involve travel away from one’s place of residence and which have as their host or focus the marine environment.[2] Thus, “Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” includes a wide spectrum of activities in the context of marine tourism in Oman, such as dolphin watching, scuba diving and snorkeling, wind surfing, fishing, observing marine mammals and birds, the cruise ship and ferry industry, all beach activities, sea kayaking, maritime museums, hotels, sailing and motor yachting, and maritime events. These activities are presented in the “Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” by English terms, which are supported by definitions, transcriptions, equivalent German and Arabic terms, and examples from documents and texts about marine tourism in Oman. Some of the terms are illustrated by the photos taken by students and faculty of Sultan Qaboos University.
The success of understanding English, German and Arabic terminology on marine tourism depends on the ability to make up clear conceptual relationships between the terms within one language and across the languages. The authors hope that being developed in such a framework, “Multilingual Marine Tourism Glossary” will be useful in facilitating communication in the field of marine tourism and will help to remove some of the language barriers in achieving academic success for our students. It is also expected that this glossary will be a valuable reference source and will facilitate terminology standardization, leading to reduction of work required in communicating knowledge about marine tourism in Oman.
Victoria Tuzlukova, Sergei Dobretsov, Saleh Al-Busaidi, Andrea Wenke and Abdullah Al-Maani
[1] Basiron, M.N. (1997). Marine tourism industry – trends and prospects. Paper presented at the National Seminar on the Development of Marine Tourism Industry in South East Asia at Langkawi (25-27 September, 1997). Retrieved November 27th, 2013 from http://fama2.us.es:8080/turismo/turismonet1/economia%20del%20turismo/turismo%20de%20costas/marine%20tourism%20industry%20in%20Malaysia.pdf.
[2] Orams, M. (1999). Marine tourism: Development, impacts and management. Routledge: London.