According to a recent survey by leading travel search engine KAYAK, travel tops the three reasons Americans want to learn another language. The survey finds that 25% of travelers said that they are more comfortable when visiting a foreign country if they can speak the local language, and 23% said they wished to avoid the embarrassment of mispronouncing a word.
One-stop-shop for travel planning & language learning
In helping to fill this need, KAYAK and language learning app Babbel have teamed up with “LinGO”, an app touted as a “one-stop-shop for travel planning and language learning”. The app focuses vacation options—camping les 2 vallees for example—alongside key French phrases to help smooth the journey. LinGO combines travel and language “hacks” to help make the most of your trip, for example: how to ask for directions to the nearest cafe or request the check after dinner.
As COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease and more countries open up their borders to travelers, KAYAK has revealed that international travel searches over the last two months continue to ramp up weekly. KAYAK’s data reveals that the best time to book an international trip to slot a good deal on airfare is five months in advance.
Among top options, consider a vacation to Nice, France in January, when median flight prices will come in at $472—a 36% discount on prices in December. To complete the package, average rental car prices in January steer in at only $36 per day. A December stay in Florence, Italy, comes in at $133 per night—the cheapest stay of KAYAK’s trending Italian destinations.
Personalize & uplevel travel experience with language learning
KAYAK’s curated travel hacks springboard off Babbel’s most popular languages—Spanish, French, and Italian—serving data-driven pricing insights for flights, stays, and rental cars.
“By teaming up with Babbel, KAYAK is giving travelers access to even more tools to personalize and uplevel their travel experience with language content tailored for transit, dining, and connecting with locals,” Matt Clarke, VP of NA Marketing at KAYAK, said in a press release.
“When traveling wasn’t an option, we still saw that one of the biggest reasons for Americans to learn a new language was preparing to travel,” adds Julie Hansen, Babbel US CEO. “This shows that being able to communicate when visiting another country plays a big role in planning a trip. This is why we’re partnering up with KAYAK to give travelers the best experience possible, from the time they decide on a destination to the adventures they have in their new language while away.”