People are a crucial component in the tourism industry. They play a key role in representing and promoting the image both of the country and of the individual tourism business. Tourists come for the beaches, the facilities, the archaeological sites and other attractions, but in a global market with a lot of destination choice they will keep coming back because they have been treated well and have a positive and memorable experience. An important factor in ensuring a positive visitor experience is excellent customer service and a key element of that is the confident and appropriate use of language.
English is the world’s lingua franca an Euromonitor Research commissioned by the British Council indicates that 80% of contact with foreign visitors at key European destinations is in English, so effective use of English is an essential skill for anyone in a frontline hospitality role. This was reinforced by Eleni Gika HR Director for Costa Navarino Resorts who opened the talk by giving some excellent examples of the difference between getting across basic facts and really elaborating your offer in English and what that means for the visitor.
So how can you be sure that your team is getting it right? Because the truth is that an English qualification that is several years old is not a reliable indicator of that person’s actual ability to communicate effectively in English today!
It is in response to just such questions that the British Council has developed the Aptis Assessment tool. Designed to meet the diverse needs of business and organizations around the world Aptis is an effective, flexible and affordable B2B solution which provides companies with the guarantees needed to ensure optimum recruitment and deployment of staff and identify training needs. Launched in 2012 75,000 people have since taken Aptis all around the world. David Sorrentino, Aptis Europe Business Development Manager, outlined the benefits of using Aptis for recruitment in the tourism industry. Aptis flexes to suit your needs so you only evaluate those skills that are important for your business such as speaking and listening. Delivered onsite by computer, Aptis provides each candidate with a profile of their language competency from absolute beginner to proficiency level, helping you to make more informed decisions and identify those candidates with the most appropriate level of language ability for specific roles, as well as identifying training needs requiring further development. By providing a specifically formulated assessment product that excludes testing you do not require you do not pay for what you do not need so there are no wasted resources and all efforts are focused on a quick, (turn-around is about 48 hours), and effective outcome for you.
The British Council is working with SETE on a customised Aptis for tourism which will be available for early 2015 ahead of the new season. To find out more about how this could work for your business contact Alison Weedall, Business Development Manager at British Council Greece.
