CULTURAL GAPS IN TRANSLATING TOURISM WEBSITES: A CASE STUDY OF UZBEKISTAN. TRAVEL

This study explores the cultural challenges encountered in translating Uzbekistan’s official tourism website, Uzbekistan.travel, from Uzbek into English. Through qualitative content analysis, the research examines how cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and heritage-related terminology are either adapted or lost in translation. The study employs Skopos theory as its framework, emphasizing the importance of translation purpose in cross-cultural communication. It identifies several cultural gaps, including inadequate localization of historical and religious references, literal translations of proverbs and slogans, and inconsistent representation of cultural symbols. The findings highlight the significance of culturally sensitive translation in promoting national identity to international audiences and suggest practical strategies for improving the cultural fidelity of tourism-related translations. The paper contributes to the growing body of literature on translation studies, localization practices, and intercultural communication within the tourism sector, with specific focus on the Uzbek context.