Foreign Language Skill as a Factor of Improving the Level of Hotel Service in Small-Towns of Russia (On the Example of Yelets)

The article is devoted to the foreign language competence of employees of the hotel industry enterprises in small-towns of Russia. The research was conducted on the example of Yelets town, Lipetsk region. At the beginning the author pays attention to the measures of state support for the tourism development and tourist attraction of small-towns. Foreign guests are a special segment of consumers of hotel services in collective accommodation facilities, where the main contact service is a front-office. Hotel receptionists are the main subjects of the research. The level of foreign language skill of hotel receptionists depends on the employers demands and the features of small-towns hotel industry. English language is most in demand for the sphere of small-towns hotel industry. The author identifies the problems in interaction with foreign guests and determines priority directions to improve according to educational conditions created in the region. The author concludes that professional foreign language training should be based on service standards and adapted to the features of small-towns hotel industry.