Wanaka tourism identity takes up new role

Wanaka tourism stalwart Jools Hall has been selected to lead a popular education initiative designed to improve the resort town’s visitor experience.

Hall joins Queenstown Resort College’s team of facilitators to deliver Wanaka Ambassador – a QRC initiative that provides useful and interesting information on Wanaka’s history, culture and offerings to local residents and businesses. Participants take a one-off, three-hour course to learn more about their hometown so they can impart knowledge and positivity to tourists.

Hall is the former owner of Skydive Wanaka – a company that she started from scratch in 1995 – and she has served on the board of Lake Wanaka Tourism for a total of six years.

She’s passionate about Wanaka and is a strong advocate for the town. She believes everyone living in Wanaka should sign up to take the easy, fun Ambassador course.

“Wanaka Ambassador goes deeper than just enhancing your customer service. It’s about customer intelligence – recognising the value of visitors,” Hall says.

“But it’s not just for front-line staff. Tourism affects everyone here. Whether you work in a hotel, in a shop or on a building site, the tourism industry is so important to us all. Wanaka Ambassador provides the tools to understanding what visitors want and need while they’re in Wanaka. We can make their experience a memorable one so they can spread the message about what a great place it is to visit. It’s the small things like this that can make the biggest difference.”

Wanaka Ambassador was introduced by Queenstown Resort College and the Wanaka Chamber of Commerce in January this year, following QRC’s hugely successful Queenstown Ambassador programme.

Wanaka Chamber vice chairman Andrew MacKenzie says Hall is the perfect candidate to facilitate the programme: “Jools has a deep connection with Wanaka and is passionate about the experience visitors receive when they are here. She is well-known throughout the Wanaka community and it is terrific that we have now reached the point where Ambassador can be delivered by resident locals with the support of QRC.”

QRC chief executive Charlie Phillips says: “Queenstown Resort College introduced the first Ambassador programme a year ago and to date we’ve had hundreds of people attend the courses. Participants recognise that through being able to offer better visitor experiences, their town becomes a more desirable place for tourists, which ultimately benefits local businesses and the community.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media