» Tourism Vancouver Volunteer Program - Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Tourism Vancouver? Tourism Vancouver is a not for profit business association representing approximately 1,050 members in tourism and related activities. Our purpose is to effectively market Metro Vancouver as a destination for leisure, meeting and event travellers. Our goals are to attract visitors to the region, encourage them to stay longer and ensure they return. This is done through the co-ordinated group action of members and employees working together. Tourism Vancouver's team includes full-time, part-time and many seasonal and contract positions and volunteers. At Tourism Vancouver - Greater Vancouver Convention & Visitors Bureau - we're in the business of helping our customers enjoy the natural beauty, cosmopolitan flavour and diversity of experiences of Vancouver and its 18 surrounding municipalities. 2. How long has Tourism Vancouver been around? Tourism Vancouver first came to be in 1902, under the name of the "Vancouver Information & Tourist Bureau". Over the years our name has evolved to Tourism Vancouver and we celebrated our 100th year anniversary in 2002. 3. How long has Tourism Vancouver's volunteer program been around? Tourism Vancouver's volunteer program was established in 1996 with the first group of 13 volunteers at our downtown Touristinfo Centre. Since then Tourism Vancouver's volunteer program has expanded to 140 volunteers at multiple Visitor Centre locations. 4. Do you have more than one location? Tourism Vancouver has operations in Downtown Vancouver, Cruise Ship terminals and Delegate Services mobile location as indicated below.
5. What types of volunteer positions are offered at Tourism Vancouver? Tourism Vancouver's volunteer program is in place at all locations. The volunteer position available at Tourism Vancouver is the Volunteer Greeter/Visitor Counsellor. Volunteer Greeters/Visitor Counsellors contribute to Tourism Vancouver's Visitor Services department by significantly increasing its ability to deliver industry leading travel counselling and product promotion. The volunteers play an essential role in maintaining the service excellence that is expected by the visitors, members and industry partners. After completing a comprehensive training and orientation program, the volunteers are relied upon to respond to visitor inquiries by promoting whenever possible Tourism Vancouver member products and services. Click on volunteer job description to see a list of Volunteer Greeter/Visitor Information Counsellor duties. 6. How can I become a volunteer at Tourism Vancouver? You may fill out a volunteer application form and submit to volunteer@tourismvancouver.com. Volunteer recruiting for Tourism Vancouver is selective. Candidates must complete an application form, followed by a personal interview to determine their professionalism, enthusiasm, availability, commitment and interest in promoting Greater Vancouver and Tourism Vancouver members. The volunteer role requires a few specific qualifications. 7. When does Tourism Vancouver recruit volunteers? Tourism Vancouver's volunteer recruitment usually takes place in January and February every year. Additional volunteer recruitment for volunteer positions with Tourism Vancouver during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place in mid 2009. 8. Should I follow up regarding my application? It is not necessary to follow up on your application. We review each volunteer application carefully for a potential match with current volunteer opportunities. If we identify a potential fit, we may contact you. Otherwise, we will maintain your volunteer application on file in the event a suitable volunteer opportunity arises in the future. 9. Who is Tourism Vancouver looking for? The outstanding reputation of our exciting industry is due to the quality and calibre of our people. We are seeking local residents with a special interest in assisting visitors to our beautiful city, who bring with them a sound knowledge of Vancouver and British Columbia. Customer service, sales, counselling, fluency in other languages are some of the beneficial skills and experience, among few other specific qualifications, that are desired for the volunteer position at Tourism Vancouver. 10. What type of volunteer training and orientation is provided? All volunteers are required to complete a mandatory 3-day provincial certification training program called Tourism Visitor Information Counsellor training. During this training, volunteers receive an introduction to Tourism Vancouver's customer service expectations, a review of a variety of travel counselling tools and an orientation to the various aspects of the visitor centres. Following this classroom style training volunteers receive additional on-site orientation as well as 1-day Superhost training. After the completion of 40 hours of on-site counselling experience volunteers receive a performance evaluation which is the final step in completing the requirements of Tourism Visitor Information Counsellor Certification. In addition to the initial training, in-house workshops and member product familiarization tours are organized as part of Tourism Vancouver's commitment to on-going training and product knowledge development. 11. What type of volunteer commitment is Tourism Vancouver looking for? Tourism Vancouver is committed to exceeding expectations and invests a lot of resources into recruiting, training and supporting its staff & volunteers. Due to length of time it takes for each volunteer to learn all required resources and member products & services, Tourism Vancouver requests a minimum of one (1) year commitment; 4 hours per week. Following the initial training and orientation, the volunteers usually work the same day and time each week at the same visitor centre location although other arrangements are possible based on availability and operational needs. To provide the best travel information and reservation services at all Tourism Vancouver's Visitor Centres and create positive experiences for all visitors before, during and after the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Tourism Vancouver will request the folliowing expanded volunteer time commitment:
12. Is the volunteer uniform provided by Tourism Vancouver? A uniform and a nametag are important indicators of consistent, professional service. As part of Tourism Vancouver's commitment to professionalism and superior customer service a communal volunteer vest or a jacket (depending on location) and a nametag are provided. However the volunteers are responsible to provide their own white shirt/blouse, black dress pants/skirt and closed toe black shoes. 13. What are the benefits of volunteering with Tourism Vancouver? The volunteer program has various activities and rewards to show Tourism Vancouver's appreciation for the volunteer professionalism and time commitment. The following are some of the rewards and opportunities offered at Tourism Vancouver:
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