The rapid development of international cooperation and interethnic contacts entails the need to improve training
in the field of tourism, including training of escort interpreters. It is known that escort interpreters must not only
have skills and abilities, but also constantly improve their knowledge of foreign languages. Thus, the problem of
optimizing the development of translation competence in escort interpreters is gaining importance. The aim of
the study is to substantiate the need to optimize the development of translation competence in escort interpreters
to work in international tourism. The article involved the following methods: theoretical review and analysis of
domestic and foreign literature on the problem of research, pedagogical observation and generalization of the
experience of training escort interpreters in universities. It was found that optimization of translation
competence in escort interpreters will be more effective in implementing the author’s model and methodology
presented in the professional. The theoretical significance of this article is that the theory and methodology of
vocational education identified and established the content of translation competence and a model for
optimizing its development. The practical significance lies in the focus on optimizing the translation competence
in translation guides. Relevant methods and programmes have been identified, which provide for development
and application in practice of professionally oriented language situations in improvement of foreign language
skills. The results indicate the effectiveness of established models and methods of optimizing development of
translation competence in escort interpreters to work in international tourism based on the improvement of
foreign language skills