How multilingualism drives international trade (using the example of Russian tourism in Dubai)
Author: Hakemi S.
Journal: Экономика и бизнес: теория и практика @economyandbusiness
Article in issue: 9 (127), 2025.
Free access
In this article we examine how multilingualism is more than means of communication but an engine that pushes trade forward by reducing transaction costs, or costs of miscommunication, increasing the consumer’s trust, and feelings of inclusion. It serves as means of market access for businesses looking to expand globally and locally. Russian speaking tourists in Dubai are the case study of this research, focusing on the language inclusive policies influence on visitors experience. The research showcases the insights from tourism market reports, trade, and industry practices to develop a practical framework that links linguistic touchpoints to measurable economical outcomes. The frameworks are complemented with a dataset and visuals. We complement the framework with an illustrative dataset and two visualizations that demonstrate how Russian arrival and spending composition could evolve when Russian-language services are scaled. The findings suggest that multilingual strategies (spanning signage, staffing, digital interfaces, financial services, and after-sale care) can meaningfully boost both visitor satisfaction and cross-border commerce. The article concludes with an actionable KPI matrix and policy recommendations that destinations and firms can adapt to strengthen resilience and growth in a volatile macro-environment.
Multilingualism, international trade, economy, russian market, dubai, services marketing
Short address: https://sciup.org/170211193
IDR: 170211193 | DOI: 10.24412/2411-0450-2025-9-162-166
Как многоязычие стимулирует международную торговлю (на примере российского туризма в Дубае)
В этой статье мы рассматриваем, как многоязычие является не просто средством коммуникации, но движущей силой, которая толкает торговлю вперед, снижая транзакционные издержки или затраты на неправильное общение, повышая доверие потребителей и чувства интеграции. Он служит средством доступа на рынок для предприятий, стремящихся к глобальному и локальному развитию. Русскоязычные туристы в Дубае являются тематическим исследованием этого исследования, в котором основное внимание уделяется влиянию языковой политики на опыт посетителей. Исследование демонстрирует выводы, сделанные на основе обзоров рынка туризма, практики торговли и индустрии для разработки практической основы, которая связывает лингвистические точки соприкосновения с измеряемыми экономическими результатами. Рамки дополняются набором данных и визуальных элементов. Мы дополняем структуру иллюстративным набором данных и двумя визуализациями, которые демонстрируют, как может измениться структура прибытия и расходов на русский язык при масштабировании русскоязычных услуг. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о том, что многоязычные стратегии (охватывающие рекламу, кадры, цифровые интерфейсы, финансовые услуги и послепродажное обслуживание) могут значительно повысить как удовлетворенность посетителей, так и трансграничную торговлю. Статья завершается с практической матрицей KPI и политическими рекомендациями о том, что назначения и фирмы могут адаптироваться для укрепления устойчивости и роста в нестабильной макроокружающей среде.
Text of the scientific article How multilingualism drives international trade (using the example of Russian tourism in Dubai)
Language exceeds the role of communication, in international markets it is what stands between companies and clients trust and retention, global success, contract clarity, cost effective. Same as the tourism industry, language is experienced thought hundreds of micro encounters from airport processing, transportation, check-in, medical assistance, and digital payment. Each encounter can hinder or smooth the pathway to consumption and repeat visitors.
Dubai offers a compelling environment for studying multilingualism at a large scale. It is well known the adoption of English by the Emirates, and now they are expanding to Russian by adding staffing, targeted marketing, customer support, website translation, signs, and menus. This happened after the surge of Russian tourists. This paper focuses on the mechanisms how language inclusion translates into trade outcomes, with the Russian segment as an illustrative case.
We make three contributions. First, we propose a conceptual pathway connecting language access to measurable commercial results. Second, we translate the pathway into an operational KPI framework for firms and destination managers.
Third, we present an applied case that synthesizes policies and practices visible in Dubai.
Conceptual Framework and Method
We adapt a services-economics perspective in which multilingualism reduces information asymmetry and perceived risk. This is displayed as: (i)higher conversion (visitors complete purchases they would otherwise abandon), (ii) larger baskets (they cross- buy and up-sale), (iii) and increased repeat visitation and advocacy [1].
The method is a structured narrative synthesis supported by an illustrative dataset. We map language touchpoints across the tourism value chain and pin-points plausible key performance indicators (KPIs). After we provide stylized figures to show how the composition of spending might shift as language access improves [2, 3].
Evidence is integrated in the order of operational decisions: target market profiling, applying policy tools, firm-levers, firm-level interventions, and risk management. References are cited in the order they appear in the text, in line with editorial requirements.
