Orange County offers video to give Middle Eastern tourists the best experience

The Orange County Visitors Association (OCVA) in California recently released a free online training video for local businesses in an effort to offer Middle Eastern visitors the best possible experience and service.

Orange County’s beaches and high-end retail outlets draw millions of visitors from around the world – many from the Middle East. The OCVA partnered with the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding to produce an instructional video called Welcoming Our Middle Eastern Guests to Orange County.

The video highlights cultural differences, and teaches etiquette for communicating and interacting with Middle Eastern visitors, bridging cultural differences and ensuring that Middle Eastern visitors have a welcoming stay.

Local business owners, community members and professionals from the hospitality, tourism and retail industries are being encouraged to use the training video. Many of the county’s major retail destinations, including Fashion Island and the Irvine Spectrum, have gotten on board.

“We hope businesses use this as training in their offices to encourage culturally aware hospitality for our Middle Eastern guests,” OCVA CEO Ed Fuller said. “Ensuring that we assist visitors by culturally providing for their needs will motivate Middle Eastern travelers to return to Orange County year on year.”

The video covers social and cultural norms, values, and social etiquette for business relationships. The video also includes an overview of Islam and its importance to understanding Middle Eastern culture.