Intercultural Communication Competence and Cultural Elements in Mandarin Tourism and Hospitality Textbooks for Non- Native Speakers

Abstract

Improved air connectivity and China’s new visa-free entry policy have significantly boosted tourism to Malaysia, with 1,185,050 Chinese visitors recorded in 2024. According to the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, this figure marks a 194% rise from the previous year. This dramatic rise demonstrates Malaysia's increasing need for tourism and hospitality workers with intercultural communication skills. For individuals working or preparing to work in hotel management and tourism, it is necessary to grasp the cultural distinctions between China and Malaysia, particularly the intricacies of local Chinese culture. In order to overcome this obstacle, Chinese language training resources that take into account both cultural viewpoints are essential. This study employs content analysis to examine the types and presence of cultural elements in two Mandarin textbooks developed for diploma-level students in tourism and hospitality. Guided by established frameworks of cultural elements (knowledge-based and communicative) and cultural types (source, target, international, and intercultural interaction), the study analyses how these aspects are embedded within the textbooks. The findings reveal a coexistence of both knowledge-based and communicative cultural content; however, the representation of cultural and intercultural elements remains unbalanced, as both textbooks predominantly emphasise local culture over international perspectives. These insights offer valuable reference points for future development of Chinese language materials tailored to the tourism and hospitality industries. In multicultural contexts, the effective integration of cultural and intercultural content is the key to enhancing learners’ understanding of the language’s cultural background and strengthening their intercultural communicative competence.