High school students in Garfield County and people associated with the tourist industry in Sevier County are getting an education in hospitality through a program aimed at enhancing tourism, an industry vital to the area's economy.
In Garfield County, 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders will complete the Super Host program's training as part of their curriculum, said Bruce Fullmer of the Garfield County Travel Council, noting that teenagers fill one-third of the tourism industry jobs in that county."They are the `front line' of our county's tourism industry," Fullmer said. "This summer, these young people will be waiting tables and working at motels or service stations." He predicts the program will have a direct, beneficial impact on tourism in the area.
The Super Host program is designed to keep residents and non-residents in Utah using Utah services, bring visitors and customers back to the state and establish an environment that welcomes visitors, said Gigi Hall, head of the program in Richfield.
Improving listening, communication and developing interpersonal skills are important aspects of the training. "How we treat our customers is a direct relationship to whether or not they will return," Hall said.
One teacher at each of Garfield County's three high schools, Bryce Valley, Panguitch and Escalante, as well as others involved in the tourist industry in the county, completed training sessions at Park City earlier this year. Fullmer said area business owners and their key employees will receive training after the first of the year.
Participants in the Super Host program learn about local attractions, services that are available for visitors, and how to treat tourists courteously so they will desire to return to Utah.