Latest Training Offered By Dept. Of Tourism Aims To Boost Customer Service In USVI

The Department of Tourism is hosting three days of training for tourism industry professionals in the territory, with the aim of boosting the U.S.V.I.’s number 1 product to even greater heights, D.O.T. said Thursday.

Offered by Aquila’s Center for Cruise Excellence and supported by D.O.T. during National Travel & Tourism Week (May 6 to 12, 2018), “Customer Service & Frontline Training” sessions on Wednesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 10 seeks to polish the skills of the “meeters and greeters” who are the face of tourism across the territory, D.O.T. said.

Set to take place at the University of the Virgin Islands’ St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses, the sessions will take customer service professionals, such as tour and taxi drivers and hospitality sales staff, through issues such as how to make a lasting impression on visitors and inspire them to return, handling challenging situations, and being mindful of cultural differences, D.O.T. said.

Sessions at St. Croix’s Buccaneer Hotel and The West Indian Company’s Administrative Building, St. Thomas on Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10 respectively, will cater to tourism industry stakeholders interested in delivering stronger shore excellence. This workshop, tailored for professionals including retail and shore excursion operators, will focus on how to help maintain the U.S. Virgin Islands, one of the most popular cruise stops in the Caribbean, as a port of excellence.

“We are committed to providing customer service training for our hardworking professionals in the tourism industry,” said D.O.T. Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “We’re in a global competition with other destinations, and today’s discerning travelers make decisions based on many factors, including their expectations of friendly, helpful and attentive service. This training helps us excel.”

For more information and to RSVP, contact [email protected] or call 340-201-6880 for the St. Croix sessions. Contact [email protected] or call 340-774-8784 for training on St. Thomas. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.