One way a destination leader can support its tourism stakeholders is by creating effective training opportunities that teach skills, instill pride and shape attitudes. Better Destinations stands ready to assist others in creating flexible, innovative systems for training frontline workers in everything from customer service to stewardship to sensitivity to diversity.
Among the most consistent themes heard in preparing the Colorado Tourism Roadmap was a call for a statewide training program to turn frontline workers into Colorado experts and train them in Colorado-style hospitality.
Kicking off the process in early 2018, Cathy Ritter convened about 30 top industry leaders from hotels, restaurants, ski, outdoor recreation, casino, attractions and other sectors into a Colorado Hospitality Advisory Group. She also commissioned a Longwoods International study finding that, far from a desire to be treated like VIPs, Colorado travelers most craved feeling that someone cared about their experience and being accepted for who they were.
Those findings and the group's recommendations shaped the launch later that year of the Colorado Concierge online training platform, positioned as a free resource for any Colorado business. With content developed in partnership with such organizations as Johnson & Wales University, Leave No Trace and UC Health, the platform offers modules in general Colorado knowledge and customer service as well as traveler safety and Care for Colorado.
When tourism stakeholders called for professional hospitality training, Cathy Ritter responded by assembling a team of expert voices. So many of the ideas raised in that forum, which I was invited to chair, ultimately shaped the Colorado Concierge online platform. It’s been wonderful to see how the CTO kept building it out and took steps to engage even more business owners and frontline workers to use it.
Sonia Riggs President & CEO Colorado Restaurant Association
Created as a strategic plan for the state’s entire tourism industry, the Colorado Tourism Roadmap defined how to build a competitive edge for Colorado’s signature industry. It was among the first U.S. planning efforts to step away from driving increased visitation.
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