The new volunteer ambassador scheme to help showcase the city’s tourism

IF you’ve ever wanted to share your passion and interest in tourism and local heritage, then a new scheme could be just up your street.

Visit Leicester has launched a new Volunteer Tourism Ambassador programme, aimed at engaging a diverse range of people in showcasing heritage events, cultural activities, visitor attractions and hotels across the city.

The volunteering scheme gives participants the chance to gain free training, learn new skills and gain access to tourism events while being part of a busy team promoting the best Leicester has to offer .

And now the first cohort of volunteer tourism ambassadors have completed their training and are ready to introduce the city to visitors. In addition to enthusiasm and local knowledge, the new volunteers also offer an impressive range of spoken languages, including Cantonese, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese and Punjabi.

Danka Neuborn, from Oadby, was one of the first volunteer tourism ambassadors to attend the new training course earlier this year. She said: “I’m Leicester born and bred and I see becoming a Voluntary Tourism Ambassador as a fantastic opportunity to showcase the city’s tourism offering to visitors and residents.”

Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for people interested in tourism, culture and the city’s visitor attractions to get involved in this exciting volunteering project.

“Tourism is a vital part of the city’s economy, bringing in millions of pounds every year and will play a vital role in showcasing some of our attractions for visitors to Leicester.”

Once fully trained, volunteer tourism ambassadors will receive a uniform to help them be easily recognized by visitors to the city. Along with welcoming visitors to the city, work could include providing information, guidance and recommendations on what to see and do during their visit to the city; conducting tours; sharing local knowledge about the city’s history, culture, architecture and communities; and supporting the city’s annual program of festivals and events. They will also help showcase Leicester’s key locations and attractions, including the King Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester Cathedral and Heritage Learning Centre, Jewish Wall, National Space Centre, Great Central Railway and Museum and Art Gallery Leicester.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and must be able to commit to a minimum of 12 volunteering sessions, spread over a year.

Leicester City Center Director Sarah Harrison said: “We are looking for volunteers from diverse cultural backgrounds, passionate about tourism and hospitality and comfortable meeting and interacting with people.

“If you speak other languages ​​or know British Sign Language, we’d love to hear from you.”

The City Council will provide information and orientation to help new volunteers become more familiar with what the city has to offer in terms of tourism and equip them with key skills and knowledge for the role.

Leicester College offers a short online course in customer service and related key skills.

Jennie Porter, Program Area Manager at Leicester College, said: “We are proud to deliver and work in partnership with Leicester City Council to provide a unique opportunity for volunteers. Here at Leicester College, we will deliver key elements of customer service that not only support the local economy but, most importantly, encourage more visitors to our vibrant and diverse city.”

In 2022, tourism in Leicester was worth over £700m and supported over 7,000 jobs. The city welcomed 10 million visitors, resulting in five million overnight stays at the city’s growing number of exciting new hotels.

Further details of the tourism volunteering scheme are available from Visit Leicester or by contacting Gitte Magielse, Leicester City Council’s Tourism Project Officer on [email protected] or by telephone on 0116 454 0199.