If you’ve been a partner with us for a while, then we’re sure you know about our awesome, free resource called the Central Counties Tourism Learning Lab. If you don’t, or you’re new to working with us, then first and foremost, welcome. We’re glad you’re here. And second, prepare to take your business to the next level in tourism. The CCT Learning Lab is an online resource portal that we’ve created to support you in developing your skills, knowledge and offerings so that you and your business/experience/organization will become a vibrant part of the visitor economy, a.k.a. “tourism,” here in Central Counties.
“But wait,” you might say. “I’m just a bakery. What do I have to do with the visitor economy?” Or, “I’m just a shop, a restaurant, an art studio, an independent gas station. I’m not involved in tourism.”
Well, respectfully, and with the utmost appreciation for all your hard work… that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you have, or work for, a business in our region of York, Durham and Headwaters, then you’re likely an integral part of CCT’s visitor economy whether you know it or not. But don’t worry, that’s good news for you because our mission here at CCT is to help you be as successful as you can be. Take advantage of the four (and soon to be five!) fun and informative courses in our Learning Lab to level up your tourism game. Let’s start with our Tourism Ambassador Program.
Become a Tourism Ambassador with TAP
“Build a welcoming community that drives visitation and engagement.” This is what the Tourism Ambassador Program, or TAP, aims to help you achieve. If you are a new tourism business, an employer looking to leverage visitor markets, to improve your team’s customer service skills, or to give your staff, students and volunteers a role in tourism and customer service, then you’re in the right place.
Don’t be intimidated by the word “course.” The programs in our Learning Lab are designed to be entertaining as well as informative. The Tourism Ambassador Program module takes place in the town of Awesomeville, and follows a quest-style approach from the perspective of four characters: Pepe the foodie fanatic pig, Alli Paca the fashionista alpaca, adventure seeker Chelsea the Chicken, and Chuckles the horse, art-lover extraordinaire. Choose your favourite character, complete your interactive lessons, and earn rewards.
There are helpful “mile markers” to remind you of what unit you’re on and how long it will take to complete each one. And because we’ve taken your busy schedule into account when designing this course, you won’t be required to do the whole thing in one go. The Learning Lab will remember where you left off, so that you can learn on your own time, at your own pace.
What the Tourism Ambassador Program covers
This course will give you a better understanding of the relationship between tourism, your business and the local economy. It will teach you how to encourage visitors to stay longer, explore your area and share their experiences—which in turn will encourage them to spend more money, spread the word, and come back again and again. You will learn all about this over seven distinct units:
Getting to Know Tourism in Ontario
This unit explains how tourism is structured in Ontario, specifically with the thirteen regional tourism organizations (or RTOs, of which Central Counties is one) that are supported by the Government of Ontario to grow the tourism economy in the province. You will learn what tourism is, the significant impact it has on the economy, and about the social and cultural aspects of tourism for the people who live here.
Understanding Your Visitors
Next, we move on to defining what a visitor is as it relates to tourism, the differences between different types of visitors and, most importantly, how to market to them based on their key characteristics. We’re confident that you’ll be at least some degree of surprised here, because the information we present to you in this unit is eye-opening in terms of who your visitors are, what they prefer to do, and how they prefer to do it.
Being a Tourism Ambassador
Success is not just about providing excellent customer service for the sake of your business, it’s about being a tourism ambassador for the sake of your community. This unit provides insight into what a tourism ambassador is, and the level of involvement you’ll want to commit to once you see how valuable a tourism ambassador can be. You’ll get plenty of great ideas on how to become one, and resources to review and learn from on your own time.
Six steps to great customer service
Believe it or not, customer service is an integral part of being a tourism ambassador. It means that you’re doing your part to make your community a welcoming environment for visitors who are going to come here and spend money. You’ll receive a fresh perspective in this unit on what good customer service is, what it means to incorporate measures for diversity, accessibility and inclusion, and review both positive and negative scenarios that are adapted from real-life examples.
Tips for Effective Communication
Communication happens on several different channels, such as phone, online and through social media. This unit will help you determine several ways you can effectively communicate with your customers through these different channels, including helpful tips you can implement. These tips are great for both single owner businesses, and employers who must routinely train their staff.
Handling Customer Complaints
Unfortunately, every business will experience a customer complaint at some point. The best way to approach these are to treat them as a learning experience, and to have a considered and prepared approach so that you’re not reacting off the cuff. This unit presents ideas for how to listen to and address customer complaints in a manner that best represents the spirit of your community.
Your Customer Service Commitment
A final, quick wrap-up unit is here to remind you about why providing good customer service is something you can be proud of, and how it relates to being a tourism ambassador for all your fellow business owners in your area.
Once you have completed the course, you will have access to a handy resource guide, which comprehensively recaps the Tourism Ambassador Program for future reference as you move forward with being a tourism ambassador. You’ll also receive a worksheet to help you plan your approach to becoming a tourism ambassador.
At the very end of the program, you will be asked to complete a short quiz to ensure that you have understood the information in the program. We’d like to note here that several of the programs which CCT offers to its businesses and organizations will require you to complete the Tourism Ambassador Program to be considered for participation, so acing that quiz will give you the certificate you need to tap into CCT’s many fantastic partnership and support opportunities.
Praise for CCT’s Tourism Ambassador Program
When we set out to create the Tourism Ambassador Program, we did so because we recognized a need within our region, based on feedback from you, our stakeholders, to address some of the gaps in understanding about tourism’s vital role in the economy. Now, of course we think we’ve come up with a pretty awesome program, but don’t just take our word for it. Here is what our partners are saying who have taken the course and implemented the strategies of TAP.
Alannah Saunders, Supervisor, Customer Service for the Town of Aurora, says, “I thought the training was worthwhile. Even after all these years I am still learning of new places and services to be able to recommend to people coming into our facility.” She also invited several of her staff to complete the training. They were kind enough to share their feedback, and found that:
- Staff liked the variety the course offered regarding interactive quizzes and a mix of informational slides and videos
- Staff appreciated the variety of topics covered as it was relatable in many aspects of the tourism industry to what they do in customer service
- The training was informative and interactive
Michael Bertuzzi, Professor and Program Coordinator at Centennial College’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, introduces his Tourism and Hospitality students to the Tourism Ambassador Program as part of the curriculum.
“Centennial College has its own training platforms for students, but when it’s possible to align with the work of real-world partners we do so,” he says. “[The Tourism Ambassador Program is] an excellent tool to help develop youth in terms of the service skills required to succeed on the front lines when working in the industry. We’re in the business of helping students transition to careers in hospitality and tourism. Careers start with jobs, and jobs start with skills. The more skills people have, the more marketable they are in the workforce.”
Michael’s students have found the TAP course helpful as well. Omasi says, “”I loved that the Central Counties Tourism Ambassador Program was interactive, making learning both fun and engaging. It helped me understand the significant impact tourism has on diversity, community development, culture, businesses, and everyone involved. It also emphasized the importance of being knowledgeable about your visitors and the destination to create meaningful and authentic experiences.”
Noel says, “The Central Counties Learning Lab Tourism Ambassador Program helped me get to know more about the industry as a whole and serve better as a tourism professional. As a student in their first year, it’s like an essential key for me that unlocks so many doors to the many aspects of this industry.”
Get started with CCT’s Tourism Ambassador Program today!
We hope by now that we’ve got you eager to become a tourism ambassador for your community. Begin your journey today by logging into the CCT Learning Lab and creating an account, if you don’t already have one. The Learning Lab is a wonderful resource you can TAP into (cheeky chuckle… see what we did there?) over and over, to refresh your memory, train new staff, and share with colleagues, friends and fellow business owners.
While you’re there, check out our other Learning Lab courses: Tourism Now, Grant Writing, and Social Media Marketing. Also, stay tuned, because we’re getting ready to launch our brand new Route Development Toolkit course which takes the idea of being a tourism ambassador to the next level. Learn why route development is such a hot trend in tourism, and how to collaborate with your fellow business owners to create a marketable visitor experience for your community.
Are you new to working with Central Counties Tourism? We’re excited to get to know you! Your first step is to connect with us. Reach out to one of our Industry Relations Managers today (based on the region in which you’re located) to find out what CCT has to offer and how we can partner to make your business a success in tourism.
Amanda Borges
Industry Relations Manager – York Region
aborges@centralcounties.ca
(905) 940-9999 x 7
Lisa John-Mackenzie
Industry Relations Manager – Durham Region
ljohn-mackenzie@centralcounties.ca
(905) 940-9999 x 8
Rebecca Landman
Industry Relations Manager – Headwaters Region
rlandman@centralcounties.ca
(905) 940-9999 x 6
Written by:
Katherine Ryalen
