Information Centre Supervisor – Tourist Information

Also known as: Tourism Center Supervisor, Senior Tourism Information Officer, Senior Tourism Assistant, Assistant Tourism Information Centre Manager

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

Your day-to-day duties may involve:
• training new and existing staff
• advising visitors about local activities
• directing visitors to nearby places
• re-stocking brochures and leaflets
• operating the bureau de change
• answering customer queries via phone and email

The role of the supervisor is to oversee the operations of the tourism information centre. You will support the officers as they greet visitors and provide them with information about public transport, attractions and local amenities. You will ensure that the centre is always well stocked with brochures, postcards and maps, and that your team members are always welcoming and happy to assist visitors.

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 the supervisor you will regularly brief the team members about the material, so they can recommend the appropriate information. The supervisor will also oversee the bureau de change, and accommodation booking facilities if they are also on site.

The supervisor will be in charge of staff training and development. It is their duty to induct new staff, and encourage training within the existing team members. The supervisor may arrange trips for the whole team to visit popular local destinations – this way the team can advise the visitors from first-hand experience.

You also have regular meetings with the officers and managers in the local authority’s tourism services department. This is an opportunity to suggest ways the service can be improved, and to hear about the latest national and regional developments.