Story URL: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=111423
Story Retrieval Date: 2/9/2010 8:37:54 PM CST
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N. Bhatia/MEDILL
Mayor Daley speaks at the launch of the new Web site "Explore Chicago," aimed at boosting revenues in Chicago's tourism industry.
Chicago web site needs to speak to the world's languages
by Nirvana Bhatia
Jan 14, 2009
N. Bhatia/MEDILL
Despite one of the snowiest winters in years, Chicago is hoping to attract more international visitors to the city.
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Explore Chicago!Mayor Richard M. Daley, speaking from the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, said, “2016 is very important for us. ...We as a city aren’t competing against Rio de Janeiro or Madrid. We are a country that’s competing. It’s difficult to compete against international venues like Brazil or China.”
Yet the new Web site, entitled “Explore Chicago,” currently caters only to English speakers, making navigating the site a challenge for global audiences.
According to a spokeswoman from the U.S. Travel Association, providing a variety of language options is a key factor in promoting domestic destinations to foreign travelers.
Translations.com is working on creating Spanish and French versions of the site, but these won’t be ready for at least another three months.
“The French and Spanish sites won’t go up until the spring,” said Dorothy Coyle, director of the Chicago Office of Tourism. “Those are extra development sites," she said, and the city wants to push its program for outdoor winter events immediately.
Official tourism Web sites for Tokyo and Madrid, other 2016 candidate cities, offer services in a range of languages including Mandarin Chinese, German, Russian and Thai — in addition to the national languages of all the candidate cities.
The price tag of producing this new Web site is $1.5 million, with translation services for two years costing a discounted $200,000, said Karen Vaughan of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
The tourism board is expecting about 190,000 hits a month, but Daley emphasized generating immediate revenue to jumpstart hospitality and entertainment providers in the Chicago area over building a long-term international profile.
“Tourism has never been more important to the city’s economy and future,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Lois Weisberg. “Mayor Daley has been appreciative of this powerful economic engine.”
Coyle said they chose Spanish because it is a top language in the United States and French because it is an official language of the Olympic Games.
The “Explore Chicago” Web site features top attractions, dining and lodging options, and neighborhood history. It also boasts a section on Barack Obama’s Chicago as well as information on the upcoming Snow Days festival on Feb 12-16.
