<![CDATA[The rapid transformation of the tourism industry requires English teaching materials that extend beyond linguistic competence to prepare graduates for increasingly complex professional communication. However, existing English for Specific Purposes (ESP) materials for hospitality and tourism remain largely dominated by transactional communication, with limited attention to local identity, destination interpretation, and contemporary tourism competencies. This limitation may leave students insufficiently prepared to communicate local cultural knowledge and represent their destinations to international visitors. This study aims to identify the English teaching material needs of hospitality and tourism students in the Language Education Program in Mandailing Natal, Indonesia, and to develop a conceptual framework integrating local identity into ESP instruction. Employing a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with lecturers, students, and tourism stakeholders, followed by quantitative validation using a structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 30 hospitality and tourism students. The questionnaire was validated for content and assessed for internal consistency before administration. The findings reveal six interrelated competencies needed in English teaching materials: linguistic accuracy, destination explanation, customer interaction awareness, destination storytelling, digital communication, and sustainable tourism communication, grounded in local history, culture, and environmental heritage. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Identity-Driven English Teaching Materials Framework, which positions local identity as the organising principle for developing professional communicative competence. The framework extends conventional ESP by integrating language learning with cultural interpretation, community knowledge, digital engagement, and destination sustainability, providing practical guidance for developing locally grounded yet internationally relevant English teaching materials.]]>
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