Tourism Development

Red Carpet Service is an educational program that helps front-line professionals:
- Discover tools to promote tourism,
- Practice skills to identify and respond to traveler needs, and
- Promote the community in a positive way.

It combines the basics of traditional customer service training while highlighting the unique needs of travelers and tourists. Participants who complete the training are "Red Carpet Service Certified."

• How is it structured?
  The two sessions (approximately 2 hours each) are usually scheduled one per week for two consecutive weeks. University of Nebraska faculty teach the initial two sessions. The 25-30 participants should be a mix of front-line employees and potential local facilitators. In the future, community facilitators are encouraged to continue to offer the program locally, perhaps once or twice a year. Typically a sponsoring organization(s) is identified to handle local promotion, recruitment, and other program implementation details - regional collaboration is strongly encouraged! A meeting with the sponsoring group three to four weeks prior to the program to answer questions and a follow-up meeting to share evaluation results are included in the package.
  
  In addition to the two program sessions, an optional "Hidden Treasures" tour, planned and conducted by the sponsoring organization(s), is highly recommended as a third session.
  
  
• What are the benefits?
  - Increased understanding of the contributions tourists make to the local economy
  - Renewed appreciation for the important role of front-line professionals
  - Improved customer service skills (giving directions, knowing where to find tourism information, etc)
  - Increased knowledge of local attractions and hidden treasures
  - Continued availability of a "ready-to-use" program that includes: teaching outlines, handouts and teaching tools initially customized for the community, PowerPoint presentations for each session, post-then-pre and mystery shopper evaluation forms, and promotion materials
  
  
  
• Click here to view a audio/powerpoint presentation describing the program.
  
  
• Click Here To View Detailed Summary
  
  
• UPCOMING RED CARPET SERVICE TRAININGS
  
  
• For more information on Red Carpet Service training, contact:
  Connie Francis
  461 West University Drive
  North Platte, NE 69101
  308-696-6739
  cfrancis1@unl.edu
  
  Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel
  4502 Avenue I
  Scottsbluff, NE 69361
  308-632-1234
  cburkhartkriesel1@unl.edu
  
  <sup>Pictured above are Graduates of Red Carpet Service Class in Brown, Rock & Keya Paha Counties, November 2006.
  
  Front row, left to right: SuEllyn Reinke, Sara Ferguson, Lori McBride, Linda O'Hare, all of Ainsworth
  Second row: Connie Francis, University of Nebraska Rural Initiative, Marcia Painter, Bassett; Karen Herring & Kathy Worrell, Ainsworth; Carol Painter, Springview; Jo McCoy, Ainsworth.
  Back row: Kristin Simonson & Deb Baxter, Ainsworth; Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.</sup>
  
  
  
• Red Carpet Service Map

  

  This map shows the pilot location as well as the completed and pending locations.