Programme for 'friendly' training on the way

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 365, 4 December 1990, Page 5

Programme for 'friendly' training on the way

Southern Ruapehu business people will next year be able to put staff and themselves into training courses on how to provide good service to visitors. RSBA member Raewyn Haworth attended a recent meeting of the Rural Tourism Action Campaign (RTCA), which is aiming to make rural councils aware that tourism is one of New Zealand's biggest overseas earners. At the meeting the RTCA decided to take on the Kiwi Host Programme which aims to help people who are in direct contact with visitors. A pilot Kiwi Host Programme is being run now in the Waikato and when it is evaluated people like Mrs Haworth would be trained on how to use the programme.

She would then be available to run the programme in this area. The Kiwi Host Programme takes on the principal that people enjoy visiting places because of people and that if the people who deal directly with tourists, whether they are tourist operators or not, are friendly and helpful ,to tourists, they will enjoy their stay. RSBA chairperson Sue Allomes said it would not be a case of someone from outside the area coming in and telling people how to do their job. She said Raewyn would be trained in Wanganui and bring back the programme and run it here. The programme should be available in the southern Ruapehu next February-March.