Italy is a huge tourist destination, and a large share of people looking for craft experiences don't speak Italian. Having your workshop description in English too means opening up to an audience that otherwise wouldn't even find you: tourists, travellers, foreign residents. It's one of the simplest ways to widen your pool of potential participants — as long as you do it well.
There's also something many makers overlook: the tourist looking for a craft experience is often willing to spend, and to dedicate half a day of their holiday, precisely for something authentic and local. It's a curious, motivated audience that rarely finds alternatives in its own language. Presenting yourself in English isn't just a matter of courtesy: it's how you tap into a real demand that today, without a translated listing, passes you by without ever seeing you.
Why English is worth it
- You reach tourists, who are looking for exactly these kinds of authentic, local experiences.
- You reach foreign residents and expats in the cities, an audience often hungry for things to do.
- You show up in English searches ('pottery workshop in Florence'), where local competition is lower.
- You convey professionalism and openness, which reassure people coming from abroad.
Avoid the slapdash machine translation
The most common mistake is pasting your text into a machine translator and publishing without re-reading it. Machine translations have improved, but they still miss nuance, tone and the specific terms of your craft, and a clumsy description signals carelessness to exactly the people you want to win over. If you use a translation tool, always re-read and fix the result, or get help from someone who knows English well.
What to get right in the English version
Keep it clear on the craft, the duration, what people take home and the location, just like in the Italian version. Use the terms foreigners actually search for ('workshop', 'class', 'experience'). And think about the practical needs of people coming from abroad: directions on how to reach the studio, whether the experience suits people who don't speak Italian, whether you or your staff speak English. These are the details that turn curiosity into a booking.
Tell the story of the place, not just the activity
For a foreign traveller, your workshop isn't just a hands-on activity: it's a piece of Italy to experience. It's worth letting them feel the context — the craft tradition of your area, the neighbourhood, the local materials — because that's exactly what people travelling for authentic experiences are after. Without overdoing it or writing an essay: a few sentences that convey the value of the place are enough. It's the difference between 'a pottery class' and 'learning ceramics in a local maker's studio'.
Domande frequenti
- Is it worth translating the listing into English even if I'm not in a big tourist city?
- Often yes: tourists look for authentic experiences beyond the best-known destinations too, and English-language competition is lower. You open up to an audience that otherwise wouldn't find you at all.
- Can I use a machine translator?
- As a starting point yes, but always re-read and fix it: a clumsy translation signals carelessness to exactly the people you want to win over. Better still, have your text reviewed by someone who knows English well.
- Do I need to speak English to welcome foreign tourists?
- It helps a lot, but even basic English combined with hands-on demonstrations works: in workshops, the gesture says more than words. The key is to state it honestly in your listing, so everyone knows what to expect.
- Is it better to write two different texts or just translate the same one?
- It's often better to adapt rather than translate literally: the English version can add information an Italian takes for granted (how to get there, the local context) and use the terms foreigners actually search for. Same core content, but written for someone who doesn't know the place.
Create your free profile: you can describe your workshops in English too and reach tourists and foreigners looking for authentic experiences.
Publish in both Italian and English on Handsome
