Happy visitors will visit Morecambe again

Welcome to Morecambe Bay, a new and bespoke customer service training course, has been launched by Marketing Lancashire, Cumbria Tourism and the Morecambe Bay Partnership, as part of the partnership’s 700 Days to Transform The Bay and Headlands to Headspace Programmes.

The inaugural Welcome to Morecambe Bay one-day training course kick-started a series of training days aimed at further developing the reputation of Morecambe Bay as a destination that excels in customer service, as well as in natural beauty.

Funded from Morecambe Bay Partnership’s Coastal Communities 700 Days to Transform the Bay and the Headlands to Headspace Heritage Lottery programmes, Welcome to Morecambe Bay training will put Morecambe Bay businesses at the forefront of first class customer service, offering a big warm welcome to our visitors old and new, helping to sustain and create new jobs in the area.

Susannah Bleakley, executive director, Morecambe Bay Partnership said: ‘This is an exciting time for Morecambe Bay. Partners and businesses are working together to make Morecambe Bay one of the fastest developing destinations in the UK.

"We want visitors to Morecambe Bay to feel our love for the area and come back again and again. The Bay area has so much to offer visitors awe-inspiring land and seascapes, fascinating stories about our heritage and culture, world class wildlife and species - and our businesses need to be at the forefront of attracting and welcoming new and returning visitors.’

Ruth Connor, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire said: “The timeless appeal of Morecambe Bay, its unique landscape and far-reaching vistas means that it continues to be one of the must-see places to visit on any trip to Lancashire and the South Lakes.

"To secure this unique position in the hearts and minds of future visitors we do have to work harder and smarter, to keep visitors coming back and to make each one an ambassador for the area because of their experience whilst here. As destination management organisation for Lancashire, Marketing Lancashire is proud to promote and support the Welcome to Morecambe Bay training course.”

The course is designed to benefit customer-facing staff working in the hospitality, tourism, leisure, transport and retail sectors, as well as students preparing for employment in the industry. It also meets National Occupational Standards for Customer Service, combining essential product knowledge of the beautiful Morecambe Bay area with the very latest in customer service skills and techniques.

Welcome to Morecambe Bay delegates benefit from a much reduced rate for the course, paying £30 instead of the national rate of £90, thanks to subsidy from The Coastal Communities Fund.

Tailored from the acclaimed Welcome Host Gold training course, this new destination-specific course benefits from the nationally recognised Welcome to Excellence quality assurance and branding. Once completed, the delegates receive a Welcome to Excellence badge and certificate and have the option to take the examination for the City and Guilds Level 2 Award in the Principles of Customer Service in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism.

Businesses who train 50% of their staff on the programme can use the national Welcome to Excellence logo on any marketing materials including their website, thereby highlighting their commitment to excellence in customer service.

Richard Greenwood, head of operations, Cumbria Tourism said: “It’s good to see partners and businesses from both sides of the Bay working together to raise the profile and quality of the visitor offer. Together we have put together a great new course to improve the visitor welcome and raise awareness about what a fascinating place Morecambe Bay is - from its vast intertidal seascapes to limestone crags, historic towns and villages, to its lovely trails and cycle routes. There is something for everyone.” The Forum, Barrow-in-Furness will be host to the next Welcome to Morecambe Bay Training Course on Thursday 3 April.