Certified Tourism Ambassadors: Lake County’s superstars
As you travel throughout our great county, you are likely to see more and more friends and neighbors wearing a gold or silver star. Who are these folks and what’s with the pins? These pins are worn by the Lake County Certified Tourism Ambassadors (CTAs) and they are here to help promote our county and bring positive and supportive enthusiasm to everyone they touch.
The Certified Tourism Ambassador program is an internationally recognized program created to increase tourism by “Enhancing the Visitor Experience”™. Each Ambassador has gone through an accredited training class, lead by local Trainers, to learn about the rich history of our county, as well as, the many resources available to help everyone who visits Lake County, come away with a memorable and positive experience.
This county sponsored program is being administered by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and staffed solely by local volunteers who believe in Lake County and what it has to offer our visitors. You’ll find the CTAs at many local events and venues acting as walking and talking information centers, helping both locals and tourists find a delicious meal in the area, points of interest, as well as answering the eternal question, “What is there to do in Lake County?”. The education for the Ambassadors continues throughout the year with CTA sponsored social gatherings at local points of interest to discover new and sometimes existing but forgotten places in our county that are truly fun and unique to our area.
If you are thinking that this type of program is only for people directly involved in the tourism industry, think again. Everyone who lives here is an ambassador at some point and in some way. The almost 250 CTAs now registered in Lake County are made up of not only restaurant, winery and lodging personnel, there are accountants, county employees, office staff and many other folks just like yourself who you wouldn’t consider to be in the tourism industry. The fact is, it is up to all of us to see to it that everyone who visits our county enjoys their stay and comes away with an experience they will share in a positive way when they return to their home.
The CTA certification has an impact in the business community as well. We have seen a positive impact on job seekers having an accredited course such as this on their resumes. In fact, we encourage local businesses to sponsor their employees to participate in the program. Imagine the impact on your business having employees interacting with your customers in a positive uplifting way when a visitor asks a question regarding our community. What we say and how it is said, makes a difference.
Anyone interested in exploring this program and how you can benefit by becoming a CTA, can go to www.ctanetwork.com and take a look around, then sign up for an upcoming class in your area. You can also contact the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at cta@lakecochamber.com. The county needs the support of everyone to spread the word about the gem we call home. Everyone should be a Lake County Star!