A campaign has been launched to recruit a team of tourism champions in North Wales.
Up to 16 Hospitality Ambassadors are being sought to inspire more young people to work in the tourism industry.
The initiative is part of the strategy of Tourism Partnership North Wales to propel the region into the Top Five visitor destinations in the UK.
The project, being run by Tourism Partnership in conjunction with Careers Wales, is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the UK.
They are looking for managers or entrepreneurs who are already working in tourism who can act as role models for a new generation to sign up for a career in the industry.
The successful candidates will be invited to a training course that’s being held at the Imperial Hotel, in Llandudno, on February 20 and 21.
Project Manager Alan Davies said: “If North Wales is to become a top five UK destination, our customer care will also need to be top end.
“The main aim of this initiative is to raise the profile of a career in the hospitality industry, emphasising that it offers really good prospects and encouraging young people to see us as a first choice career option.
“We want to recruit between 14 and 16 Hospitality Ambassadors from within the industry across North Wales.
“They would typically be people working as managers or entrepreneurs running their own business in the hospitality industry.
“They will go into schools to inspire the young people aged between 14 and 16 by telling them about their experiences and explaining why they find tourism an exciting industry to work in.
“The ideal Hospitality Ambassador will have a passion for the industry and be an excellent role model.
“The two day course will provide training on presentation and engagement skills so our new Hospitality Ambassadors will be able to hit the ground running when they start their school visits in March.
Dewi Davies, the Regional Strategy Director of Tourism Partnership North Wales, is a strong advocate of the project.
He said: “Our vision is to make North Wales one of the Top Five UK destinations for visitors.
“We’re not going to achieve that unless we provide absolutely brilliant experiences for our customers, and much of that of course is provided by people who work in the industry.
“We therefore need to recruit the right people into the industry, young people who’ll see hospitality and tourism as a really great career.
“Tourism is a vital part of the North Wales economy. It brings in £2.1 billion and it employs the best part of 40,000 people. 30,000 in the front line dealing directly with customers, and that’s how important it is. It’s nearly 10% of our economy.
“If we didn’t have a visitor economy we’d have a much weaker regional economy, and as we see in the tough economic times that we are in now the visitor sector is much less affected than many of the manufacturing and service industry.
“First impressions do count, and really we want the people to give that absolutely fantastic experience to customers when they arrive.
“We know in the modern world how quickly the message gets around if you’re a good business or provide a bad experience.
“We’re competing against so many other destinations within a couple of hours from us here in North Wales, so we’ve really got to be top notch with innovative products, with great people who are really committed to delivering experiences that leave our customers wanting to come back here.”
Anybody wanting more information about the Hospitality Ambassadors scheme and the training course should contact Llinos Cunnah at Tourism Partnership North Wales, either by ringing 01745 585440 or emailing her at [email protected]
