The Spanish Group, an internationally recognized and ISO-Certified translation service, is sharing its forecast revealing the key language translation trends impacting global business, supply chain, legal and travel industries.
“Cultural adaptation is essential to communicate authentically and inclusively with diverse audiences worldwide,” said The Spanish Group’s CEO Salvador Ordorica. “Next year promises to be exciting for how businesses can leverage translation to reach their goals, as well as adhere to increasing regulations and evolving digital laws and ESG reporting standards.”
Translation Trends Coming in 2026
Ordorica predicts the following language translation trends in the new year:
Trend 1: Local Over Transactional
In 2026, the biggest trend will be that translation won’t just consist of swapping words anymore. Businesses will need to shift from a transactional service to a core strategy based on creating localized experiences that feel authentic to audiences.
“As digital expansion accelerates, businesses realize simple accuracy isn’t enough; it has to resonate culturally,” said Ordorica. “We’re seeing marketing, product, and localization teams working closely together to deliver that seamless, native feel.”
Trend 2: Multilingual Support Takes Precedence in Travel
Now that travel has bounced back post-pandemic, the focus of translation is expanding. Instead of just using translation for brochures and websites, travel professionals must be prepared to provide the multilingual support customers now demand.
“Travelers now expect instant, multilingual support—across everything from booking systems to chat help,” explained Ordorica. “Demand for languages like Korean, Portuguese, and Arabic is expanding beyond the traditional English, Spanish, and French markets.”
Trend 3: Localization Driving Supply Chain Resilience
Supply chain resilience will depend on companies’ ability to localize their services, and their communications, as they move into new markets. Businesses are gaining a foothold in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, which will require translating everything from training materials to compliance documents.
“Translation has evolved from a marketing task to a critical part of keeping business running smoothly,” said Ordorica.
Trend 4: Shifts in Leading Languages
International businesses will continue to make Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic a high priority for operations. However, in 2026, there will also be a growing shift toward focusing on regional languages. This means an increased demand for languages like Hindi, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Swahili.
“Early localization in these languages gives brands a competitive edge as these markets grow digitally,” Ordorica said.
Trend 5: AI Is Here to Stay, But Not Compete
The pandemic and subsequent emphasis on remote work meant that organizations were pushed to expand into multicultural markets faster than they were prepared to. While this led to a massive increase in the use of AI language tools, there’s still a strong need for human beings to remain part of the translation picture.
“With AI tools becoming standard parts of workflows, the trend now is toward human-checked translations that complement, not replace, automation,” Ordorica said. “Certified accuracy and deep cultural insight matter most—especially in the legal, medical, and government sectors where automated solutions alone just don’t cut it.”
However, this is not to say artificial intelligence has no role to play in the business community. AI translation tools are becoming faster, cheaper, and more efficient. Even though they’ll never be able to fully master nuance and legal responsibility, they can be helpful for developing first drafts to be scrutinized by trained translators. The best use of AI is to think of it as a tool that can augment the work of humans, but not replace them because overreliance on the technology will sacrifice accuracy at the altar of speed.
“I recommend that business leaders remain cautious, but curious. Don’t replace research, studies, and expertise with artificial intelligence just to save time or produce more content. Prioritize quality over quantity,” said Ordorica. “The coming years will show who uses AI wisely with human oversight and who doesn’t—impacting trust and credibility.”
About The Spanish Group
Founded in 2013 by Salvador Ordorica, CEO, The Spanish Group is an internationally recognized ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17100:2015 certified translation service offering 123 languages and unparalleled language precision, localization, cost effectiveness, and efficiency. The Spanish Group sets itself apart by working with certified, professionally trained linguists all over the globe who are native speakers and deeply experienced specialists in a variety of fields. The Spanish Group is trusted by Fortune 500 companies, law firms, small businesses, universities, embassies, and other governmental agencies to deliver accurate, culturally correct translations and localizations that help them operate seamlessly across multiple languages.
For more information, visit: https://thespanishgroup.org/.
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