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moelle
fausement mediset
Jan 7, 2018 10:45
6 yrs ago
3 viewers *
French term

valeur monétaire

French to English Bus/Financial Finance (general) Factors affecting a country\'s appeal as a tourist destination
I have found plenty of examples of the literal translation of this as 'monetary value', of course — but that simply doesn't seem to fit in my context, which is an analysis of various factors that may affect some particular country's performance in attracting tourists, and subsequently, in things like promoting exports, etc.

It is just a category heading, for a factor to be rated on a scale of 0 to 5, so there is no sentence to explain how it is being used. As such, I can't see that 'monetary value' makes any sense at all here, and I'm even wondering if the source term is incorrectly used; the document as a whole has some quite quirky and I suspect non-European FR in it!

In terms of logic, what I'd expect to find would be something like 'value of the local currecny', i.e. 'favourable exchange rate' — or the result of that, which is 'good value for money' (more holiday for your buck!)

So my question is really: has anyone else ever encountered this term employed with this less usual meaning? And perhaps, does anyone else agree with my reasoning, or can anyone explain how its 'normal' translation could have any sense in my context?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 value of currency
4 real exchange rate
4 value of the local currency
3 money value
3 -1 revenue value

Discussion

Francois Boye Jan 8, 2018:
@ Tony

The exchange rate value is not the indicator to know whether or not a tourism destination is cheap. The right concept is the real exchange rate, as I explained it.
Rob Grayson Jan 8, 2018:
@AllegroTrans I can only reiterate my previous comment: IMO it would be misleading to use "value for money", since this might easily be taken to mean, for example, that the country is intrinsically a "cheap" place to visit. The notion of currency value relative to other currencies needs to be maintained.
AllegroTrans Jan 7, 2018:
Thoughts in the light of answers so far - and the fact that this assessment is merely one of 0 to 5 - nothing more precise - is that the asker's suggestion of "value for money" seems to fit
Tony M (asker) Jan 7, 2018:
@ A/T The entire situation is not entirely clear; basically, it seems to be some kind of training or information document, aimed at high-up people from various countries, trying to show tham what they can do to improve their country's image abroad, by 'nationa branding'; so I assume this is an example for participants to assess their own country's present and potential strengths and weaknesses; there is a llot of SWOT analysis etc. going on.

So it is definitely self-analysis of "how is my couintry doing right now?" and "what could it improve for the future?"
In this instance, we are looking at what are the strong points that would encourage tourists to come? (or not!)
AllegroTrans Jan 7, 2018:
Tony who is doing this 0 to 5 assessment?
Francois Boye Jan 7, 2018:
French economists say 'valeur de la monnaie' instead of 'valeur monétaire' because the latter expression may refer to the value of money supply in French.
Francois Boye Jan 7, 2018:
The point is not the value of the money. In reality, the point is whether or not foreign goods or services are expensive compared with the goods or services of the tourists' countries or of other tourism destinations.

And only the concept of real exchange rate establishes whether or not a tourism destination is expensive.

And the concept of real exchange rate is the one that establishes whether or not a tourism destination is expensive.

An expensive country for a tourist is the one in which prices are too high compared to the prices of other tourism destinations or the country of the tourist in question.
Rob Grayson Jan 7, 2018:
@Phil IMO it would be misleading to use "value for money", since this might easily be taken to mean, for example, that the country is intrinsically a "cheap" place to visit. The notion of currency value relative to other currencies needs to be maintained.
Francois Boye Jan 7, 2018:
https://www.rachatducredit.com/definition-valeur-monetaire-9...
philgoddard Jan 7, 2018:
I take your point about "value for money", Rob and Nikki, but I still wonder if it might be the best translation. If a country has a weak currency, your money goes further. We don't know what this document is for, but if it's meant for members of the public, "value of currency" may not be clearly understood.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne Jan 7, 2018:
Thanks Tony. I hadn't got the idea that this was effectively part of a list.
"Value for money" would be "rapport qualité/prix" of course, but that was not exactly how I was meaning it, rather along the lines of it being an asset in some way. So yes, "value of currency" does get that across effectively.
Tony M (asker) Jan 7, 2018:
@ P/G Thanks for that suggestion, which certainly could be applied to the tourists themselves; I'm a bit unsure about using it here, where it is talking about the assets of the country: 'increased purchasing power because our currency is weak' is certainly the idea, but in a way that makes the "asset" 'weak currency', and I gues they'd prefer not to say that ;-)
Tony M (asker) Jan 7, 2018:
@ Nikki Thanks, I don't think it'll be much help, but here are all the other factors being analysed under 'tourism':

Facteurs clés de succès :

Niveaux de service client

Sécurité

Valeur monétaire

Accessibilité
polyglot45 Jan 7, 2018:
what about "purchasing power" ?
Rob Grayson Jan 7, 2018:
It's definitely not… …value for money, which would be something along the lines of "rapport qualité / prix". "Monétaire" is never used in that sort of context.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne Jan 7, 2018:
Hi Tony,
Could you give a few examples of what is described in the section concerned? It might help.
Just seen Rob's suggestion and I'm wondernig if the inteneded meaning might be related to something along the lines of "value for money"? Seems unlikely, but you never know.

Proposed translations

+2
21 mins
Selected

value of currency

Your intuition is correct, Tony: in financial/economic texts, "monétaire" is fairly often used to denote "having to do with currency".
Note from asker:
Thanks a lot, Rob, and commenters — exactly my way of thinking, but very hard to find concerte refs. for this actual collocation, because there's so much "noise" from the other sense... Charles's point is exactly what I had in mind.
In answer to Writeaway's comment, I have posted the entire FR text — these are just titles in a table; short of posting my entire document, there is nothing else that could possibly provide a jot of additional information.
Peer comment(s):
agree writeaway : would have been nice to see just a bit of French context/the actual French text too
15 mins
agree Charles Davis : As, for example, in the ERM, which was initially called Système Monétaire Européen. After all, monnaie does mean currency.
29 mins
Indeed :)
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne
1 hr
disagree Francois Boye : valeur monétaire= la valeur des produits en termes d'une monnaie //In addition, the value of the currency does not determine whether or not a tourism destination is cheap
4 hrs
agree Rachel Fell
11 hrs
disagree nweatherdon : the aspect about being currency is correct, but it's not the right way to say it. Among other things, debates about "value" as opposed to "price" legitimize this, not to mention that associated fields are mandatorily picky about such things
1 day 5 hrs
Feel free to post a better answer
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3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks a lot, Rob — especially for corroborating my intuition! It clearly is to do with the exchange rate making this or that country more (or less) attractive as a tourist destination. And of course, these issues will be in part related to the <i>perceived</i> value for money... On studying my document for the umpty-fifth time, I stumbled across another phrase where they did indeed talk literally about 'value for money', and it was only on analysing it more closely, in a totally different part of the document, that I eventually realized the two statements were connected. As I have said elsewhere, this is not the first instance in this document where language has been used sloppily or outside its usual formal meaning. Thank you for your answer and explanations here and in discussion, which ultimately helped me "see the wood for the trees"."
4 hrs

real exchange rate

Tourists are interested in going abroad to buy goods and services in foreign exchange. If those goods and services are expensive compared with the prices of the tourism sector in their countries, then, there is no incentive to be a tourist.

The monetary value of the foreign products in local currency is based on A) their prices in foreign currency and B) the exchange rate. In economics, it's the concept of REAL EXCHANGE RATE that captures simultaneously the concepts A and B.

The attachment below explains the concept of 'valeur monétaire', i.e., the concept of monetary value of products.

https://www.rachatducredit.com/definition-valeur-monetaire-9...


Real Exchange Rates

The purchasing power of two currencies relative to one another. While two currencies may have a certain exchange rate on the foreign exchange market, this does not mean that goods and services purchased with one currency cost the equivalent amounts in another currency. This is due to different inflation rates with different currencies. Real exchange rates are thus calculated as a nominal exchange rate adjusted for the different rates of inflation between the two currencies.
Note from asker:
Merci, François ! I hear what you are saying, and I understand the point you are making. However, I don't think this is the best solution in my context, not least because in my case it addresses a non-expert readership, and I'm not 100% sure this is the real issue here. The more I study my document, the more I think the term is being used rather sloppily. I really appreciate your thoughtful contribution!
Peer comment(s):
neutral Charles Davis : The definition of valeur monétaire you have quoted is not applicable here and is quite different from the concept of real exchange rates, which is also inapplicable here (since "valeur monétaire" cannot refer here to the relative purchasing power).
18 mins
Charles, I am a professional economist! Please read my reasonong and my attachments.
disagree Rob Grayson : As per Charles's comment // Whether or not you’re an economist is of no interest to me
1 hr
Charles is not an economist//how come neither you nor Charles discusses the economic meaning of the concept of 'valeur monetaire' applied to tourism?
agree nweatherdon : outside of ensuring at least one instance or otherwise sufficient clear indication of "real" in technical economic works, "exchange rate" is probably sufficient
1 day 1 hr
thanks!
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7 hrs

money value

Simple translation
Note from asker:
Thank you for your contribution! I rather share François's view that this doens't really convey a clear meaning in EN — in essence, it ought to mean the same as Rob's answer, but doesn't convey it as clearly or, I believe, idiomatically.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Francois Boye : what's the meaning?
2 hrs
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-1
8 hrs

revenue value

Revenue from tourism?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2018-01-07 19:01:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Note that revenue value will depend on several factors such as the exchange rate, without this veing expressly stated in such a short phrase
Note from asker:
Thanks, C., but in this instance, it is very much referring to "what is going to be a plus point that will attract tourists?", so I don't think the notion of 'revenue' is really looking at it from the right point of view.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Francois Boye : not at all!
1 hr
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1 day 5 hrs

value of the local currency

In discerning this from Rob's answers, I note that this highlights the specifically exchange rate aspect.

In speaking of a local currency, you're necessarily comparing to some other currency. This is both technically sufficient and easily accessible to non-specialists in any field.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 5 hrs (2018-01-08 16:35:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

You could also replace "value" with "purchasing power" (which is the reason that Francois added "real").
Note from asker:
Thanks, NJ! I agree with all you say, and in other contexts, I feel sure this would work fine; but as I have suggested in other comments on this page, I think part of the problem is that the term is actually being used very sloppily, and I don't think it would be helpful to my customer or their readers to place too much emphasis on the specific point of exchange rates — which might be a sensitive subject in some quarters, and this document is aimed at a very wide readership (i.e. high-up politicians and business leaders from many different possible non-specified countries). Thank you for your contribution!
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