Travel guides devote countless articles to surviving and finding entertainment in foreign countries, but very few guides say anything about entertaining foreign guests, which is a much more complex issue. The problem extends beyond simple scheduling and the solution must also take into account cultural differences that add a subjective slant to the word fun.
My Japanese friend vacationed in America for a week, and I was responsible for showing him around. I was nervous at first, but fortunately I found several helpful resources that really made for an exciting visit.
Flight Tracking Apps
Flight schedules can be difficult to predict, and a poorly planned pickup can put a damper on the excitement. It’s important to have the most up-to-date info in order to ensure that your visitor isn’t stuck at the airport, and sometimes printed itineraries just won’t cut it. Kayak offers a free application with powerful flight tracking functions, and it’s incredibly easy to track a flight to or from any country via any flight provider. No flight number, no problem; there are also options to track by departure and arrival locations. If the trip is open ended, Kayak can be used to easily purchase a return ticket and also displays useful fee and airport feature information. There’s even a beacon function that broadcasts the user’s position so that group members can find each other. The app is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android.
Finding Something To Do
It’s tempting to resort to pricey restaurants or posh theater, but some of the greatest times can be had at free attractions or local haunts. Wikitravel offers excellent city guides that include everything from the fanciest experiences to famous cheap eats. These guides include ticket and meal prices suited to any budget. It’s also important to take cultural needs into account, and Wikitravel offers useful information on local religious centers. The standard Wikitravel site is awesome, but the mobile version of the site really shines on iPhone or Android.
In general, it helps to create a bank of activities. This allows you to create a schedule on the fly that can be changed to fit the energy level or interests of your visitor. Free apps like Springpad offer powerful ways to capture activity ideas (personally I relied on Bords for iPad).
Apps that Get you There
If you’re in the states, there’s a good chance that you’ll be driving your visitor all over town, or even taking a long road trip. I love my iPhone, but the gps feature simply sucks. It’s painful to drive and type in addresses (not recommended) and it’s nearly impossible to navigate a course while finding a place to chow down or looking for souvenir shops. Dragon Go! offers an elegant solution to the type and drive dilemma. This free app can recognizes such commands as “Transformers Showtimes”, or “Directions to McDonalds,” and it’s invaluable in a setting where typing isn’t an option.
Keeping an Opened Mind
Those who have visited a foreign country know that the experience can be both exciting and a little frightening. Normally new experiences come gradually, but visiting a foreign land brings a Tsunami of new information. There are so many new foods, places, and people to take in that exhaustion is almost guaranteed: throw in a foreign language and your visitor may feel that he or she is climbing a mountain. There may be tons to see but intermittent downtime is a must, especially if jet lag is an issue. It’s important to consider your visitors energy level, and it’s a great idea to stick to relaxing activities for the first and second day of the visit.
Style, personality, and interest vary across cultures, so leave some wiggle room in the schedule for cultural differences. There are two schools of thought when it comes to the flow of time, one flowing and continuous, and the other segmented and staccato. The study of this use of time is known as Chronemics and understanding which category your visitor’s culture falls into is a great start to arranging a fun visit. Those from polychromic cultures may prefer a more relaxed schedule, with plenty of time in between events, and those from monochromic cultures may prefer a more regimented schedule. Regardless of what you read, be wary of cultural stereotypes, and be open to input from your guest.
There are many ways to entertain a foreign guest, and there’s definitely no right or wrong way to do so. Keeping an opened mind and relying on helpful technology can relieve quite a bit of the stress that comes along with choosing from countless activities and trying to provide a pleasurable visit.