Source: Marriott
Source: Marriott
Source: Marriott

Immersive Trainings Offer Hotel Staff and Corporate Customers Deep Dives into 13 Cultures, Underscoring Company's Aim to Welcome All, Elevate Customer Satisfaction and Drive BusinessNewest Culture Days: Native American and LGBTQ

Marriott International today announced the expansion of its groundbreaking Culture Day program aimed at fostering multicultural understanding to ensure welcoming environments at its hotels and increase guest satisfaction. Since Marriott founded the program in 2014, the company has hosted more than 50 Culture Day trainings in over 30 cities and eight countries. During 2018, demand for the program doubled as more hotels as well as corporate customers requested this training.

Today, Marriott offers immersive training experiences for 13 countries and cultures: Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Russia, South Korea and U.S., as well as curriculum around Jewish, LGBTQ and Native American cultures.

"As international travel grows worldwide and Marriott continues to expand into more countries and territories, embracing differences is more critical than ever to ensuring a warm welcome for all," said Apoorva Gandhi, Vice President of Multicultural Affairs, Marriott International. "Our Culture Day training programs provide associates with key insights and knowledge about customer cultures."

During Indian Culture Day in Washington, D.C., participants experienced authentic henna application.

"We hosted the first-ever Culture Day training in Canada here in Calgary last year, and we saw the results firsthand," said Joseph Clohessy, General Manager, Calgary Marriott Downtown. "By improving our understanding of Chinese business protocols and cultural values, we were able to secure a major Chinese air crew client by offering the group services of particular value to them."

Gandhi echoed this sentiment: "Participants typically leave confident with newfound insights that will help them more effectively understand and anticipate a guest's needs, which ultimately leads to better business outcomes and higher customer satisfaction."

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,100 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel program. Connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.