Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33200014
06/06/02
To Promote Your Community: Conduct a Tourist Hospitality School
Michigan State University
Beattie, Thomas A.
E1322
33.20
May 1980
- Where's a good place to eat?
- What's there to see around here?
- How's the fishing?
- Where can we find a good place to stay?
- What's there for kids to do around here?
- Where can we camp?
Every year questions like these are asked thousands of
times in Michigan communities. Helpful responses will
contribute to a pleasant vacation for tourists and
provide significant financial benefits to communities
willing to provide assistance.
The purpose of this bulletin is to guide communities in
planning a tourist hospitality school.
Why Have A Hospitality School?
* To report the impact of the tourist dollar
Do the people in your community appreciate the impact of
the tourist dollar? Often lodging, food service, or
filling stations are seen as the only recipients of the
money tourists spend. Each dollar spent by a tourist in a
community is spent again several times. This is known as
the "multiplier effect." The wages of the waitress,
housekeeper, or filling station attendant generated by
sales to tourists will eventually reach the hardware
store, the clothing store, and the grocery. A school will
help change local attitudes about the value of tourist
expenditures in the community.
* To tell the tourist of attractions in your area
Many tourists come from urban centers with high
population densities. On their vacation trips they are
seeking new and interesting experiences, a change of
scenery, and a friendly and relaxing atmosphere.
Often local people do not see their community and area as
the tourist sees it. The features which bring the
tourist---scenery, recreation, and other attractions--
-are often taken for granted by the local population.
Young people employed in the hospitality industry often
see themselves as "trapped" in an unexciting environment
and convey to the traveler that they have just reached
the end of the earth and the sooner they leave the better
will be their vacation.
A school will help provide reliable information to those
workers who come in direct contact with tourists about:
- Places to stay
- Places to eat
- Local attractions (museums, exhibits, festivals, etc.)
- Recreational opportunities (swimming, boating, fishing,
hiking, skiing)
- Scenic trips in the immediate area (circle tours,
foliage tours, etc.)
- In a nutshell, a school will instruct local people in
the art of providing public hospitality and
service.
TYPICAL TOURIST AND CONVENTION EXPENDITURES IN MICHIGAN
Lodging - 16 cents
Food - 34 cents
Transportation - 28 cents
Gifts and incidentals - 14 cents
Entertainment and Recreation - 8 cents
Travel and tourism are big business in Michigan. Sales
for 1978 were estimated at $4.7 billion dollars. It is
estimated that each tourist spent $30.35 per day for
transportation, food, lodging, entertainment, gifts and
incidentals. The above figures show how each tourist
dollar is spent. Note that one half of each dollar goes
for food and lodging, and the remainder is distributed
throughout the business community. (Source: Michigan
Travel Bureau. Tourism and travel expenditures include,
conventions, and business-related travel.)
Planning The Hospitality School
A formal program of instruction is recommended and should
include three main topics:
1.Economic orientation to the importance of tourism to
the community.
2.The art of courtesy, service and hospitality.
3.A thorough knowledge of local attractions, facilities,
and services.
A first step is to form a planning committee. It should
be a cross section of the community including business
people as well as those not directly involved in business
such as school representatives, youth groups, and
community organizations. Choose people who are
enthusiastic about their community and its potential for
improving service and hospitality. The planning committee
should designate a chairperson who would have three major
responsibilities:
- Organizing subcommittees
- Identifying local, regional, and state resources which
could assist in planning and conducting the school.
- Coordinating the work of other committees.
Planning The Course
DATE
Select a date that is close to the opening of your
season---probably in April or May.
COURSE LENGTH
Six to eight hours of instruction will be required. The
course can be divided into several two-hour sessions in
the afternoon or evening, or longer sessions if your
audience can spend more time together.
SUBJECTS
These reflect the major goals of the school:
1. The importance of tourism to the community
2. Description of local and regional tourist attractions
3. The art of hospitality---the dignity of human services
and the high regard local residents should hold for the
opportunities to offer warm hospitality.
4. Inspirational talk designed to motivate.
METHODS
The most effective teaching methods are visual aids,
demonstrations and tours.
For the orientation portion, show charts, graphs, and
figures along with the lectures. You can effectively
illustrate tourist attractions and regional points of
interest with color slides and movies. Ask local
photographers for good pictures. Obtain additional films
from the resource organizations listed in the last
portion of this bulletin.
A tour will be essential in order to "Know Your Community
and County." Include all outstanding tourist attractions,
restaurants, entertainment places, libraries, shopping
facilities, industries, museums, and other places and
facilities of interest to tourists. The tour requires
careful planning. Be sure everyone understands each point
of interest and those in charge know the full story of
what is being described.
Participation by members of the group will improve your
programs. People learn by sharing experiences and
concerns.
Testimonials from previous guests who found the community
interesting, the service excellent, or the local
facilities attractive will impress students with the
high-value tourist potential of your community.
FOR EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
1. Meet in a comfortable, well-lighted room large enough
to avoid crowding. Enlarged pictures, maps, travel
posters, and similar decorations create an atmosphere
conducive to lively, stimulating discussion.
2. Plan each meeting carefully and provide plenty of time
to cover each subject.
3. Change the pace of the meetings to hold interest. Mix
in visual aids, demonstrations, skits, and tours. Strive
to get participation, and use imagination and
stimulation. Do not allow long speeches.
4. Publish the program in advance and send a copy to each
person who will be participating.
5. Check mechanical props and equipment in advance to be
sure they are working properly.
6. Have someone on hand to greet each person upon arrival
in order to create a friendly and relaxed environment.
7. Start and stop the meetings on time. Adhere to your
schedule for each session, including the breaks.
Punctuality creates respect between audience and
speakers.
8. Provide a summary at the end of each meeting. This
helps to firm the lesson in the student's mind for longer
retention.
9. Designate someone to take notes of the most important
elements of the presentations. These will be useful in
future meetings.
10.If possible, provide handout material such as maps,
display cards or folders. A hospitality reminder card to
be mounted in a conspicuous place should be helpful to
the student when on the job.
ATTENDANCE
Urge participation by owners and employees of every
business, particularly stores, service stations, lodging
accommodations, restaurants, shops, marinas and parks.
Committee members should make personal contacts with
owners and managers to urge their cooperation. Keep
records of attendance.
Since the school will be conducted before the peak of the
tourist season, make special efforts to contact those
people who are not yet employed. Include high school
students and other part-time workers, and make them the
prime targets of your instructional program.
Two sessions may be necessary to keep the crowd within
manageable size. Also, business people may wish to split
their staffs, so all could attend.
PUBLIC INFORMATION
As this school is wholly a public relations effort, the
committee should set a good example and do an outstanding
job of informing the public. Full and Sustained newspaper
and radio coverage is necessary. Plan the information
schedule carefully. Include a time schedule of news
releases, nature of releases, media, and persons
responsible.
Pictures taken at early planning meetings will provide a
good material for your initial publicity program.
Publicize the school program, speakers, films and
benefits to be derived from attending the school.
Some good news stories about the tourist hospitality
school can also be used to reach a large audience in your
region and throughout the state.
Do not skimp on information. The more the better---keep
your public informed!
FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION
If conducted properly, the school should have a most
favorable acceptance by students, and the lessons should
prove to be of everyday use in dealing with tourists.
Continue the school annually. New people are always being
hired, and those who have attended previously could
consider the school an opportunity to "brush up" on
current or new tourist attractions and facilities.
A questionnaire is very useful in soliciting constructive
criticism from those who attended.
Interviews with the managers of businesses who cooperated
in the school are also recommended.
Next year's planning committee should carefully review
all evaluation reports so that the most useful ideas can
be incorporated into the new instruction program.
MORE INFORMATION
Travel Bureau, Michigan Dept. of Commerce, P.O. Box
30226, Lansing, Ml 48909
http://www.travel-michigan.state.mi.us/
Michigan Highway Dept, State Highway Building, Lansing,
MI 48933
http://www.mdot.state.mi.us/
West Michigan Tourist Assoc., 136 Fulton Street E., Grand
Rapids, Ml 49502
http://www.wmta.org/
Upper Michigan Travel & Recreation Assoc., Box 400, Iron
Mountain, MI 48901
http://www.travel.com/
East Michigan Tourist Assoc., 1 Wenonah Park, Bay City,
MI 48706
Southeast Michigan Travel & Tourist Assoc., 27777
Franklin Rd, Southfield, Ml 48034
Michigan Lodging Assoc., 30161 Southfield Rd, Southfield,
Ml 48076
Michigan Restaurant Assoc., 30161 Southfield Rd,
Southfield, Ml 48076
American Automobile, Assoc., Auto Club Drive, Dearborn,
MI 48126
http://www.aaamich.com/ (http://www.aaamich.com/
MI State Dept. of Commerce, Office Economic Expansion,
525 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933
http://www.commerce.state.mi.us/
Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, Steven T. Mason
Building, Lansing, MI 48933
http://www.mdnr.state.mi.us/
Association of Private Campground Owners, Box 296,
Montague, Ml 49437
http://www.michcampgrounds.com/
Cooperative Extension Service, Michigan State University,
East Lansing, MI 48824, and your local County Extension
Director.
Cooperative Extension Service Programs are open to all
without regard to race, color, or national origin. Issued
in furtherance of cooperative extension work in
agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8, and June
30, 1914 in cooperation with the U.S,. Department of
Agriculture. Gordon E. Guyer, Director, Cooperative
Extension Service, Michigan State University, E. Lansing,
MI 48824.
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