Each day, Raleigh-Durham International Airport's visitor services staff helps hundreds of passengers navigate their way through not only the airport, but also the Research Triangle Region.
They provide directions to local hotels, restaurants and destinations far outside the immediate airport vicinity. To improve the level of service to airport customers, all Visitor Services employees have been certified as North Carolina Travel Counselors by the Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.
This means that the Ambassadors and their supervisors successfully passed a 100-question exam testing their knowledge of North Carolina and RDU. Questions covered categories on North Carolina tourism statistics, directional information, lodging, geography, customer service, history and culture and attractions. |
RDU Ambassadors Susan Larsen (left)
and Andy Watson (right) are among the
staff that have now been certified as
travel counselors by the state. |
Information about RDU parking rates, Terminal 2 statistics, airline operations and concessions were also part of the test.
“We consider the Visitor Services program to be similar to the state's welcome centers on our highways,” said Teresa Damiano, Director of Marketing and Customer Service. “Our airport is a gateway to the state and it is important that the Ambassadors be as knowledgeable about the region and the state as they are about RDU.”
The Visitor Services unit is the first to be certified outside of the State's welcome center employees. One hundred percent of the staff earned certificates. Travel counselors received a certificate from the state as well as a congratulatory letter from the Travel Industry Association of America. |
