Tourism Information Officer – Tourist Information

Also known as: Tourism Officer, Tourism Information Officer, Tourism Assistant

Tourism information centres (TICs) are located in most major cities and towns where there are a lot of visitors from the UK and abroad. They provide information about transport connections in the area, local amenities, visitor attractions and emergency services.  As an officer your responsibility is to maintain the centre and answer visitor queries.

Your day-to-day duties may involve:
• advising visitors about local activities
• re-stocking brochures and leaflets
• operating the bureau de change
• booking accommodation for the visitors
• answering customer queries via phone and email

The officers are the main point of contact for visitors at the tourism information centre. When the visitors enter the centre, the officers will greet them and offer complimentary brochures and leaflets. Visitor will often come in with a particular query regarding directions or a local activity, and it is the responsibility of the officer to find a solution.

A tourism information centre provides a range of brochures and advertising material from hotels, tourist attractions, shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. They will also sell maps, books, postcards and souvenirs. As an officer you must be familiar with all the material so you can recommend them accordingly.  Tourism information centres will often have a bureau de change, where tourists can change foreign currency into British money and vice versa. Another facility within tourism information centres is the accommodation booking service, where visitors can book and pay for local accommodation. You may be required to make bookings on behalf of visitors for local hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts.

During the quieter times of the year you may have the opportunity to visit the attractions in the local area, so you can experience them first-hand and make recommendations to visitors