Career Exploration: Visitor Center Manager

By: Shelby Warehime Communication 110 Professor Dutill

What area of communication is a Visitor Center Manager?

There are a few areas of communication used in this career field:
Group and Team Communication: Communication in decisionmaking committees and work teams. Group and Team communication focuses on leadership, member roles, group features, agendas for achieving group goals, and managing conflict. Interpersonal Communication: Communication between two people. Not a single things but rather a continuum that ranges from quite impersonal to highly interpersonal. For example: The more we interact with a person as a distinct individual, the more interpersonal the communication is.

Information on a career in a Visitor Center Manager

Primary Responsibilities: To provide information and advice on what to see and do in a particular city, town, area or country. Tasks also involve booking accommodation, making reservations and selling related gifts and souvenirs. Some Visitor Center Managers also run special events and generate marketing opportunities for tourism businesses. Education level suggestion or requirements: Not always required but suggestion of bachelors degree in marketing, tourism, or related field, and one to three years experience in management or tourism. Desired skills and experience required: Comprehensive knowledge of methods, approaches, and procedures involved in tourism promotion and travel. Experience in training and management also customer service, ability to read road maps, communicate effectively, deal cordially with all types of people. Use of standard office equipment, hardware, and software. Ability to direct and supervise work of others, express ideas fully and clearly, maintain effect work relationships with coworkers, visitors, officials, and general public.

Organization that offer employment: Visitor centers, Visitor bureaus, visitor information, etc.

My interview with Tracy Cromeans Visitor Center Manager

Question #1: What is your favorite thing about your career in Visitor Center Management? Tracy says, I love helping people and I am passionate about history. She likes talking to people and getting them excited about the town! Tracy likes to let the visitor know what to see and do. Tracy says, I like to be positive and helpful when helping a visitor. My job makes each day feel new to me. Tracy feels that building a relationship with her visitors is the main focus in her job. Question #2: What is the biggest challenge of a career in Visitor Center Management? Tracys biggest challenge is trying to let the visitor know about everything there is to do and see in the town based on their limited schedule. She feels that it can be difficult sometimes to build and excitement in a visitor if they do not have much time to explore the town and battlefield.

My interview with Tracy Cromeans Visitor Center Manager

Question #3: If you had to choose another career in a communication field what would it be? Tracy says that if she had to choose another career in the communication field that she would look into something cultural or English as a second language. She would like to help direct Hispanic people or other cultures. Tracy used to be a Spanish teacher which was actually her major. She likes to help other cultures. I would like to help them find jobs, homes, help them function and create a good life for themselves says Tracy. Question #4: What are your daily tasks/ schedules in this career field? Be responsible with monthly schedules. Get to know your community business and memberships. In this career field you need to be familiar with your town and area in order to answer the visitors questions. When working with the Gettysburg Visitors Bureau local businesses in the town sign up with the GCVB to be members so that their businesses can be promoted at the visitor centers for visitors to view. Tracy feels that it is good to build a relationship with the businesses that are members so she can promote their business to the visitors. Also you need to make sure you are prepared that means having all of your materials to service the visitors. Having a knowledge of the events and things going on in town is a plus. This job sometimes includes event planning and coordinating volunteers for the events such as Amtrak, medal of honor, 150th events, and much more! Tracy trains the workers on how to handle guests and situations.

My interview with Tracy Cromeans Visitor Center Manager

Question #5: What is on experience you have had with a visitor that made a great impact on you and your career? Tracy says that from visitors coming into Gettysburg she has made friends and built great relationships with people all over the world. She feels that sometimes she makes a great impact on people and she does not even realize it at times.

Special experience Tracy had with a visitor

Tracy and her husband used to own their own business in town before she worked at the GCVB. Her business was a bed and breakfast. During the process of getting their business up and running Tracy and her husband met a couple that was visiting from New York. Tracy and her husband do reenactments and dress in period time clothing often. When they met these people from New York they were dressed in their period time clothing. The people came up to them and asked them for a picture and information. Tracy and her husband told this couple about their bed and breakfast that they were in the process of opening and the couple told Tracy and her husband that they would come back to Gettysburg and stay at their bed and breakfast when they got it open. The couple came back two years later to stay at her business. When they came to the door Tracy and her husband had no idea who they were but the couple was acting as if they knew Tracy and her husband well. They asked for a room and then asked Tracy and her husband to go out to dinner with them that evening. The couple told Tracy that her and her husband were so sweet and nice to them and helpful that they just had to come back to Gettysburg. Because of Tracy and her husband this couple from New York became very involved in Gettysburg and period time clothing. Now these people are some of Tracys good friends they come and visit them 2-3 times a year and actually stay at Tracys home with her and her husband.

Conclusion/ Summary
After interviewing Tracy for her position in Visitor Center Management I decided that I love this career path. I enjoy helping people and making their day special. I was surprised by some of the skill and educational requirements for this career. As a part time employee of the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau I am getting the experience I need for this career. I am learning more and more each day and I love doing this position. Tracy is great at her job. When I got to sit back and watch her do her job I was amazed. She handles the customers very well. The way she communicates with the visitors is wonderful. They always walk away with a smile and great understanding of the town! Tracy said in her interview that her main goal is to get the visitors excited about Gettysburg.. I feel that she does a great job of that!

Tracy Cromeans Visitor Center Manager

References
Cromeans, Tracy. "Interview with Tracy Cromeans." Personal interview. 15 Oct. 2013. "Tourist Information Centre Manager: Job Description." | Prospects.ac.uk. AGCAS Editors, Mar. 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Wood, Julia T. "Chapter 2." Communication Mosaics: An Introduction to the Field of Communication. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2014. 23-39. Print.