The linguistic landscape of tourism sites in Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Manyara

Abstract

This article analyses the linguistic landscape (LL) of tourism in Tanzania, specifically in Arusha Kilimanjaro, and Manyara regions. It seeks to determine language representation, the key actors, and power dynamics between the languages represented in the LL. It collected 258 signs in seven tourist sites in these regions in the Northern Safari Circuit of Tanzania in February and March 2024 using a digital camera. It analysed the data grounded in Kress and van Leeuwen’s (Citation2006) framework for analysing visual signs. Findings indicate that English monolingual signs are predominant, followed by English and Kiswahili bilingual signs, and finally, Kiswahili monolingual signs. No ethnic community languages (ECLs) are represented on the signs in the studied LL. The data showed that top–down actors favour both English and Kiswahili for profit and pride, whereas bottom–up actors favour only English for profit. English is dominant in both top–down and bottom–up signage, whereas ECLs are conspicuously absent in the LL of tourism sites, implying the need for (i) policy intervention to enhance their presence in the public space and (ii) diversification of tourism marketing strategies to incorporate aspects of ECLs and cultures to attract tourists seeking authentic, varied experiences.

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