Profession tourist information centre manager

Tourist information centre managers are in charge of managing employees and activities of a centre which provides information and advice to travellers and visitors about local attractions, events, travelling and accommodation.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Investigative

Knowledge

• Local area tourism industry

  The characteristics of local sights and events, accommodation, bars and restaurants and leisure activities.

• Geographical areas relevant to tourism

  The field of tourism geography in Europe as well as the rest of the world in order to point out relevant tourism areas and attractions.

• Tourism market

  The study of the tourism market on a international, regional and local level and considering worldwide tourist destinations.

Skills

• Handle touristic quantitative data

  Gather, process and present quantitative data in the touristic sector about attractions, events, travelling and accommodation.

• Present reports

  Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.

• Respond to customers' inquiries

  Answer customers' questions about itineraries, rates and reservations in person, by mail, by e-mail and on the phone.

• Recruit employees

  Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.

• Build a network of contacts with suppliers of tourist services

  Establish a widely spread network of suppliers in the tourism industry. Prepare the best possible package and tourist services.

• Analyse data about clients

  Study data about clients, visitors, customers or guests. Gather, process and analyse data about their characteristics, needs and buying behaviours.

• Oversee the design of touristic publications

  Monitor the design of marketing publications and materials for the promotion of tourism-related products.

• Maintain customer records

  Keep and store structured data and records about customers in accordance with customer data protection and privacy regulations.

• Keep up to date on local events

  Follow the information about upcoming events, services or activities by checking information sheets and online communication.

• Develop financial statistics reports

  Create financial and statistical reports based on collected data which are to be presented to managing bodies of an organisation.

• Manage budgets

  Plan, monitor and report on the budget.

• Distribute local information materials

  Hand out leaflets, maps and tour brochures to visitors with information and tips about local sites, attractions and events.

• Apply foreign languages in tourism

  Use the mastery of foreign languages orally or written in the tourism sector in order to communicate with collaborators or customers.

• Assess an area as a tourism destination

  Evaluate an area by analysing its typology, characteristics and its application as a tourist resource.

• Build business relationships

  Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.

• Handle personal identifiable information

  Administer sensitive personal information on customers securely and discreetly

• Develop strategies for accessibility

  Create strategies for a business to enable optimum accessibility for all clients.

• Design materials for multimedia campaigns

  Draft and develop materials to be produced for a multimedia campaign, keeping in mind budgeting, scheduling and production.

• Comply with food safety and hygiene

  Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.

• Develop tourist information materials

  Create documents such as leaflets, brochures or city guides to inform tourists about local, cultural, social and historical activities and places of interest.

• Maintain customer service

  Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.

• Have computer literacy

  Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.

• Oversee the printing of touristic publications

  Manage the printing of marketing publications and materials for the promotion of tourism-related products.

• Manage medium term objectives

  Monitor medium term schedules with budget estimations and reconciliation on a quarterly basis.

• Design press kit for media

  Draft promotional materials to be distributed among members of the media for promotional purposes.

• Provide tourism related information

  Give customers relevant information about historical and cultural locations and events while conveying this information in an entertaining and informative manner.

• Manage staff

  Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

• Create solutions to problems

  Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB