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Tourism Ambassadors Teach Local Hospitality Employees About Area Trivia
culture, hospitality, tourism,
Quick question: What is a tourism ambassador in Fayetteville?
A new program called Tourism Ambassadors, believed to be the first of its kind in North Carolina, teaches local hospitality industry employees about area trivia and attractions.
The program began in January 2009 after Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau officials noticed that hospitality employees, who were occasionally quizzed by visitors on what there was to do in Cumberland County, often didn’t know what attractions to suggest.
As a result, the CVB initiated the program so these front-line workers can become “certified tourism ambassadors.” Participants in the program are charged a fee and must take a test to become an ambassador.
Cumberland County has 4,100 workers who are employed in restaurants, hotels, car rental companies and taxi services, and the CVB estimates that an average of 160,000 visitors stay in Cumberland County each month.
The half-day workshops cost $35 per person, and participants are given a 192-page book on area trivia and attractions that they must read in advance. After the workshop, attendees take an open-book exam to test their knowledge.
Workshops are scheduled approximately every two months until the CVB is satisfied that a sufficient number of hospitality employees have become certified tourism ambassadors.
Two examples of the information that the ambassadors must know include the term Skibo, as in Skibo Road. It is a Celtic word that means place of peace. Also, the tallest building in Fayetteville is the 11-story Systel building.
Hospitality employees are also encouraged to ask tourists a variety of questions that will encourage them to visit more local sites during their stays.
Story by Kevin Litwin
