As the Eurovision Song Contest rolls into town this month, tourism businesses across the region are gearing up to capitalise on the influx of visitors and its moment in the spotlight.

However, the importance of delivering a positive welcome to the region beyond Eurovision cannot be underestimated. With Liverpool also set to host the 151st Golf Open in July, the city remains in the international spotlight.

Eurovision host venue Liverpool Arena is one of a number of businesses across the city that has benefited from training its customer-facing staff in the world-renowned principles of customer service programme, WorldHost.

Funded by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, a bespoke version of the programme has been developed by People 1st International for the Liverpool City Region to help businesses build key skills of visitor-facing staff.

Southport Pleasureland is another local tourism business that has taken advantage of the free staff training support on offer.

“We signed up for the programme as we wanted to give our supervisors valuable insight into customer service and hospitality. We strive to deliver a high standard of service at Southport Pleasureland and wanted to empower our supervisors to embed their learnings within the wider workforce.” says Norman Wallis, CEO.

“The programme was very well delivered and gave our staff a wider view of the Liverpool City Region, enabling them to answer questions from our customers about other attractions in the area. It also reinforced the importance of making a positive first and lasting impression to ensure we have satisfied customers that want to return time after time. We would definitely recommend the training to other businesses in the area – it’s a fantastic, free opportunity to upskill your teams.”

People 1st International’s Executive Director Jane Rexworthy is encouraging businesses to join the likes of National Museums Liverpool, Pullman Hotels and the Jockey Club and join the free 2-day training programme.

“The international events hosted by Liverpool this year are a unique opportunity for businesses to capitalise on the uplift in visitors to the region. Those that deliver a world-class experience open the door to positive reviews, repeat custom and increased sales.

“This programme is a free opportunity to ensure employees have the required knowledge to assist the influx of international visitors with local knowledge and high-quality service. However with the programme funding only available until the end of June 2023, businesses need to act fast to take advantage of the opportunity to upskill their staff to deliver an unrivalled welcome.”

Open to any businesses in the City of Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral and Halton that interact with visitors, including attractions, venues, hotels, restaurants, cafes and passenger transport, the ‘Hospitality Visitor/Tour Guide’ programme is being delivered throughout May and June 2023.

The programme covers four topics:

• Principles of customer service
• Accessible and inclusive service
• Communication skills
• Sourcing information on local attractions and services

To secure a fully funded training session in-house for your business contact:

info@people1st.co.uk