Workshop focuses on hospitality, tourism

Wednesday May 31 at the Hot Springs County Museum, 38 people representing 15 businesses attended a hospitality and customer service workshop. The event was hosted by Hot Springs Travel and Tourism, and the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, Casper College Certified Hospitality Educator Ginny Garner leading the class.

After brief introductions from those attending, which included names, businesses they were representing, and where they like to vacation and why, Garner pointed out many choose to travel to locations where they can get away, but still be close enough to home and family to feel comfortable.

Tourism is defined as "the temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residences, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations and the facilities created to cater to their needs." Garner noted it's important for people to understand they are also part of the bigger picture.

The fundamental parts of tourism, Garner said, are accommodations, attraction and entertainment, destinations, food and beverage, transportation and travel agencies.

Of those who travel, 40 percent is to visit friends, 37 percent is for vacation or leisure, 20 percent is for business or professional work and three percent is for other reasons. Garner said many are travelling to create new experiences or make memories with their families, or to broaden their horizons.

The focus of Wednesday's workshop was those who travel for leisure. It's important, Garner said, to keep in mind these travelers do have a choice as to where they spend their vacation, and also make sacrifices in other parts of their lives to afford travel. Looking at a popular vacation spot - Yellowstone National Park - she noted there are a few ways to get there, one of them being through Thermopolis, and that's the one we want them to take. When they come here, she said, we need to make sure we are delivering the experience.

Looking at the big picture, tourism is the largest and fastest growing industry in the world. It's expected to support 350 million jobs by 2025, an increase of 70 million jobs compared to 2015. In the U.S., it is a $2.1 trillion industry generating $5.7 billion per day; it also encompasses one of every nine jobs in the country.

As for Wyoming, in 2016 tourism was the second largest industry in the state, with over 10 million visitors. Travelers spent $3.2 billion in 2016, about $8.9 million per day. The industry earned $894 million, and generated $171 million in taxes, saving household in Wyoming $730 in yearly taxes.

In Hot Springs County, tourism generated $24.5 million, supporter 320 jobs and earned $7.7 million. It also generated $500,000 in local taxes and $800,000 in state taxes.

Garner said each of us, in the way we provide the visitor experience, creates a ripple effect which spreads to the local, county, state and national levels.

Garner also challenged people to consider what the Thermopolis "brand" is, explaining a brand is not so much a promotion, but part of the Thermopolis product we are putting out to people. It includes things such as the community personality, what people tell their friends, the brand promise, what people feel when they come here and their expectations.

There is a lot to offer here, Garner said, including museums, swimming and the scenery of the canyon. While people who live here might tell visitors what not to do, Garner told everyone to keep in mind travelers choose to come here, and they do make sacrifices to do so. If people do a good job in promoting the town, she added, it means additional advertisement through word of mouth.

The average nights stay for travelers is 2.4, Garner said, and we want to make sure people are having a great time during that stay. People come out this way for the open spaces, she noted, and the intricate lifestyles, as many live in the middle of cities don't get that experience.

Garner had people divide into groups, with each given a scenario, from families with multiple children to retired couples to single parents with teenage kids. Each scenario gave a brief description of the people involved, things they like and why they are travelling. Each group was given time to look over a visitors guide and come up with an itinerary for the visitors' stay.

Though each group came up with its own ideas for their itineraries, everyone was open to suggestions from others as well. It was also noted during the exercise that the visitors would have to spend more time here to experience everything. It also helped remind and inform local people of what we have here.

Garner said it's important to remember the people are part of the brand of Thermopolis, and though ads and billboards can be put up, the positive customer experience begins with us. "We are the spirit of Wyoming," she said. "The spirit of Thermopolis." She further encouraged developing a shared vision for the community, which can help get people on board and make them feel like they are part of something bigger. The more engaged they are, the better they can promote the Thermopolis experience.

Using a few pages from Lee Cockerell's "Creating Magic," Garner said it's important to keep in mind "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" when providing guest service:

•Be Happy - Make eye contact and have a sincere smile. Garner noted the 80-20 rule, 80 percent of business is from 20 percent of clients, and it's our job to get brand loyalty.

•Be Like Sneezy - Spread the hospitality by extending an appropriate greeting, and don't send people away for information on businesses; call the business, or be aware of information people need.

•Don't Be Bashful - Seek out customer contacts, and have any necessary information they might need. Customers might not need you, but at least they don't have to go looking for you.

•Be Like Doc - Be prepared to provide service recovery and fix things, should something bad happen. Garner pointed out some of the biggest lessons we learn are from our failures.

•Don't Be Grumpy - Display appropriate body language at all times, and if you can't provide a solution, seek one out.

•Be Like Sleepy - Garner said Sleepy is someone who likes to dream, and we can help provide and preserve a magical experience and help people's dreams come true.

•Don't Be Dopey - Thank each guest, and end the experience with a smile. Garner noted everyone can have challenging customers, but beginning and ending their experience the same way can help promote a positive miage.