Tourism Development Specialist
Salary
$64,919.00 - $80,224.00 Annually
Location
Suffolk, VA
Job Type
Full Time
Job Number
03100
Department
Economic Development
Division
Tourism
Opening Date
12/12/2023
Closing Date
12/26/2023 11:59 PM Eastern
Under minimal supervision, develops sales/marketing programs and tourism products, packages and services designed to increase visitation to the City. Work involves working with local hospitality industry and historical/cultural groups to attract visitors, researching and pursuing grant opportunities, maintaining marketing efforts targeting regional hotels, working with the media to generate positive publicity and serving as contact person for meeting/convention planners. Employee must exercise tact and courtesy in frequent contact with the public and employ initiative and independent judgment in completing assigned tasks. Reports to the Tourism Development Manager.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
Essential Job Functions
· Develops tourism products, packages, and services designed to increase visitation to the City; maintains close working relationships with regional partners, the local hospitality industry, and historical/cultural groups to develop creative, value-based packages designed to attract visitors.
· Researches and pursues grant opportunities to enhance tourism development initiatives, attractions, and tourism-oriented agencies.
· Maintains ongoing marketing efforts partnering with Suffolk accommodations; assures that hotel staff specifies City of Suffolk attractions to their guests.
· Researches/writes, designs and disseminates monthly newsletter (digital)
· Maintains Suffolk Tourism website and makes daily/weekly updates to social media platforms. Takes photos, videos, edits and creates social media reels.
· Writes regular media releases promoting Suffolk events, programs and marketing initiatives, to attract visitors, travel writers, etc.
· Pursues bookings for meetings, conferences, reunions, group tours and retreats, for Suffolk.
· Serves as primary contact for meetings and convention planners; maintains current listing of organizations seeking conference sites; contacts organizations directly and provides meeting guides to market facilities/services available in the City. Provides conference services to incoming groups following definite bookings.
· Attends and works at tradeshow booths; greets and meets clients; makes verbal and audio and visual presentations, collects data for potential leads; arranges site visits, prepares collected information and distributes to City venues.
· Organizes and presents familiarization programs targeting state, regional, and local hospitality industry.
· Serves as economic development/tourism liaison for Suffolk hospitality-related businesses and organizations; coordinates special events, marketing programs and initiatives.
· Prepares regular reports regarding tourism activities and initiatives.
· Assists Tourism Development Manager with coordination of advertising programs; fosters a positive public image that promotes the City as a viable travel destination.
· Assists with development of all collateral.
· Represents the division at various meetings and conferences to share information on amenities, attractions, and services; makes presentations regarding marketing and promotional activities; responds to inquiries and elicits support for proposed programs; performs networking by participating in organizations, clubs, educational events, and other social activities which include potential clients and fellow members of the hospitality industry; works to build a strong presence of the Suffolk Division of Tourism through consistent attendance, active participation, and support.
· Prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, duty schedules, attendance records, payment vouchers, volunteer handbooks, sales tickets, deposit slips, grant documents, marketing materials, or other documents.
· Receives various forms, reports, correspondence, logs, membership lists, flyers, brochures, maps, invoices, payments, photographs, policies, procedures, periodicals, manuals, directories, reference materials, or other documentation; reviews, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate.
· Operates a motor vehicle, personal computer, general office equipment, cash register, digital camera, or other equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, desktop publishing, e-mail, Internet, or other computer programs.
· Communicates with manager, employees, volunteers, students, other departments, City officials, historical and cultural organizations, hospitality industry representatives, the public, the media, outside agencies, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, resolve problems, or give and receive advice and direction.
· Attends various meetings, serves on committees, and makes presentations as needed.
· Maintains a comprehensive, current knowledge of applicable laws and regulations; maintains an awareness of new trends and advances in the profession; reads professional literature; maintains professional affiliations; attends workshops and training sessions as appropriate.
· Assists with development and implementation of division budget and management plan.
· Assists in conducting special projects, events and activities as needed.
· Performs general and clerical tasks, which may include answering telephone calls, typing documents, entering data into computer, making copies, sending/receiving faxes, filing documentation, processing incoming/outgoing mail, or making photographic records of events/activities.
· Performs other related duties as required.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising, Business Administration, or closely related area and 3 years professional level experience in hospitality industry operations, tourism/travel, marketing, advertising, public relations, graphic design or closely related area; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. Requires a valid driver's license.
Supplemental Information
· Knowledge of the policies, procedures, and activities of the City and of departmental practices as they pertain to the performance of duties relating to the position.
· Knowledge of the principles, practices, and methods associated with promotion of City tourism, including those relating to the hospitality industry, travel/tourism trends, advertising, and public relations.
· Knowledge of available hospitality/tourism resources within the community.
· Knowledge of the laws, ordinances, standards, and regulations pertaining to the essential duties and responsibilities of the position.
· Knowledge of the terminology, principles, and methods utilized within the department.
· Knowledge of the effective content, layout, and production of promotional literature and communications materials.
· Skilled coordinating work involving guidelines and rules, with constant problem solving; requires continuous, close attention for accurate results or frequent exposure to unusual pressures
· Ability to keep abreast of any changes in policy, methods, computer operations, equipment needs, policies, etc., as they pertain to departmental operations and activities.
· Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply regulations, procedures, and related information.
· Ability to effectively communicate and interact with supervisors, members of the general public, the media, and all other groups involved in the activities of the department.
· Ability to assemble information and make written reports and documents in a concise, clear and effective manner.
· Ability to use independent judgment and work with little direct supervision as situations warrant. Has the mathematical ability to perform required calculations.
· Ability to read, understand, and interpret travel/tourism, marketing, and computer reports and related materials.
· Ability to develop new approaches or methodologies to solve problems not previously encountered by analyzing, synthesizing, or evaluating data or information using unconventional or untried methods.
· Ability to negotiate, exchange ideas, information, and opinions, with others to formulate policy and programs or arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions, or solutions.
· Ability to assists with achieving moderate economies and/or preventing moderate losses through the management of a small division or handling supplies of high value or moderate amounts of money consistent with the operation of a small division.
· Ability to use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and/or calculates ratios, rates and percent.
· Ability to read journals, manuals, and professional publications; speaks informally to groups of co-workers, staff in other organizational agencies, the general public, people in other organizations; and presents training composing original reports, training and other written materials, using proper language, punctuation, grammar, and style.
· Ability to make frequent decisions, affecting the individual, co-workers, and others whom depend on the service or product; works in a somewhat fluid environment with rules and procedures but many variations from the routine.
· Ability to make moderately serious impact decisions--affects work unit and may affect other units or citizens.
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/suffolkva/jobs/4300884/tourism-development-specialist?page=3&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs
