The word “Hospitality” itself originates from a Latin word “Hospices”, which literally means, “Stranger”. Hospitality, thus, in a literal sense refers to how one must treat strangers.
There is no comparison of Latin America when it comes to hospitality for the guests. The guest is treated virtually like a royal king, and the whole family of the host will give their maximum attention to every smallest requirement of the guest.
The host takes pride in the fact that someone has visited their home. The entire family of the host honors the guest by holding a family dinner or party to recognize the guest’s presence.
The hosts like to show their entire home or place to the guest, in order to make him comfortable and feel at home. Also the people of Latin America like to share their heartfelt feelings and thoughts with the guest.
It is the cultural roots of Latin America that have played an influential role in cultivating such a great spirit of hospitality among its natives. The culture in Latin America is by and large laid-back, with minimal stress, and easy-going lifestyle. The majority of people are happy and contented with earning a basic livelihood, and do not have desire for earning much more than that.
As a result of this sense of contentment that pervades through their lives, the Latin American people have plenty of time for themselves and for others. This is the reason that they feel happy to see a guest and like to give sufficient time and attention to the guest.
On the contrary, the harried lifestyle of the western countries leaves very little time for attending to a guest and extending plenty of warmth and hospitality.
In Latin America, even if you are an unknown stranger and after a tiring day you present yourself at the door of someone, chances are that you will be greeted with a hearty welcome, and food, water and shelter if the host finds you a respectable looking foreigner.
Even in business dealings, the hospitality of the Latin American culture plays a big role, as they like to do business with warm and friendly partners, and work on a lot of faith and trust. Relationships are all-important for a Latin American businessman, overriding all other material considerations.
This culture of hospitality also gets reflected in the quality of tourist infrastructure and comforts that are provided for the visiting tourists to Latin America every year. The service of the staff in the hotels is highly personalized and dedicated. You will find it hard to detect a flaw in their service or something missing in a meal or a poor wine selection etc.
The hotels and lodges take great pains to ensure that the guests are in comfort. Even the other facilities like transport and business services in the cities are extra-courteous towards the foreigners who are unfamiliar with the city or its routes or language.
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