Effectiveness of Arabic–English Translation of Hail’s Tourist Landmarks: A Cultural-Conceptual Model

Tourism is a critical component of cultural exchange, where effective communication plays a key role in enhancing visitor experiences. High-quality translation is therefore essential for advancing the tourism industry at both national and international levels. In the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the tourism sector has received special attention, with efforts to position the Kingdom as a leading international tourist destination. This focus is driven by its rich heritage, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cities. This study aimed to analyze the Arabic–English translations of Hail tourist landmarks into English to evaluate their translation quality through the lens of the cultural–conceptual translation model. A structural framework was employed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the translations of landmarks and propose strategies for improving the translation quality of such landmarks. Data were collected from two tourist mobile applications (i.e., Discover Hail and Journey in Hail ), focusing on the Arabic–English translations of tourist landmarks to explore how effectively they attract visitors’ attention and create a positive impact on an international visitor. Results were categorized into three areas: push-pull factors, destination image, and purpose alignment, exploring weaknesses and strengths in such areas. Each category revealed varying degrees of success in conveying the intended messages and cultural values. The study demonstrated that culturally informed and conceptually accurate translation is essential for the effective promotion of tourism destinations and the facilitation of meaningful cross-cultural engagement.