Tourist information centre manager job description | Salary, skills, qualifications

As the manager of a tourist information centre, you'll provide advice to visitors in person and online, book accommodation, sell tickets for local events, support local businesses, manage online content and social media channels and identify opportunities to increase visitor engagement and income.

Your management duties will include the daily running of the centre, developing partnerships with local stakeholders, networking, staff management and recruitment, and ensuring targets are met and services meet visitor needs.

Types of tourist information

You'll provide information and facilitate bookings for a range of tourist services, including:

accommodation
amenities
events
leisure facilities
transport
visitor attractions and experiences.

Tourist information centres are also known as visitor information centres, so jobs may be advertised as visitor information centre manager or visitor services manager.

Responsibilities

As a tourist information centre manager, you'll need to:

publicise the centre's services and implement strategies to raise the profile of the centre, increase footfall and online engagement and generate more income
carry out marketing activities, such as managing social media, websites and digital content and creating promotional campaigns
control and monitor the centre's budget to make sure targets are met in the most cost-effective way
research and visit attractions and accommodation to build good local knowledge
work with local businesses and visitor attractions (gathering relevant information where needed) to develop partnerships and promote them as destinations
keep up to date with changes in tourist activities, trends and events
plan and organise events
produce guides and other marketing literature and online resources
communicate information to members of the public and deal with enquiries in person and by email, social media, phone and online platforms
operate accommodation and other booking services, selling tickets for travel and local events
ensure the centre is well presented, organised, easy to use and accessible, and that leaflets and posters are well stocked
prepare reports for senior management and attend meetings with senior managers and tourism businesses, using data and visitor insights to inform decisions
manage the recruitment and training of staff
supervise staff and volunteers, assigning responsibilities and delegating tasks accordingly
buy merchandise and tourist souvenirs to sell in the gift shop
work out staff rotas and cover for the centre.

Salary

Starting salaries for tourist information centre officers or assistants range from £20,000 to £24,000.
With experience and progressing to a supervisor level, you could earn £28,000 to £30,000.
If you're in a managerial role, you can expect to earn in the region of £28,000 to £38,000.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll usually work around 37 hours a week over five days, often including weekends. Part-time, temporary or seasonal work is common.

Some centres, particularly in larger towns and cities or areas of high visitor interest, are open seven days a week, including bank holidays. In less urban areas, however, centres may have reduced opening hours during the winter or be closed on certain days, opening primarily at weekends or during peak visitor periods.

What to expect

Tourist information centres exist in most cities and many towns and in rural areas of interest to tourists and visitors. They can also be found in libraries, ports, service stations and airports.
As this is a public-facing role, you'll usually be expected to maintain a professional appearance, which may include wearing a uniform.
You can be very busy, particularly in the tourist season when you have to deal with a large number of enquiries.
Most travel in the working day is local, mainly to visit attractions, events and businesses.
You may need to travel to other centres to compare working practices and systems, and to attend conferences trade events, which may take place across the UK, sometimes involving overnight stays.

Qualifications

You don't need a degree to become a tourist information centre manager. You could start as an assistant and, with experience, work your way up to the role of manager. You could also move across from another customer service, hospitality or retail role.

Entry is possible with a degree in any subject but relevant degree, HND or foundation degree subjects include:

archive and museum studies
business or management studies
geography
information technology
librarianship or information management
marketing
modern languages
politics, government or public administration
travel, tourism or leisure studies.

You may also be able to enter the role through an apprenticeship, such as a Level 3 Travel Consultant apprenticeship, or by gaining relevant experience in visitor services or the wider tourism sector. Many travel operators run apprenticeships, and you can find details of these on company websites.

Personal qualities and proven business skills are seen as just as important for the role as academic qualifications.

Skills

You'll need to have:

excellent communication skills for dealing with customers and contacts in local businesses and visitor attractions
good interpersonal and management skills to lead a team of staff
a methodical, motivated and customer-focused approach to work
an enthusiastic, friendly and confident manner
problem-solving ability and negotiating skills to successfully run the centre
knowledge of the UK, especially the area where you're applying for work
IT skills to help with managing websites, social media, digital content, e-commerce and online booking systems
business or commercial awareness
language skills - not essential but can be useful for welcoming and helping visitors from different countries.

Work experience

Pre-entry experience in the tourism, travel or leisure industry is important, especially in a busy front-line role dealing with the public. Part-time, and in some cases seasonal, opportunities are available in:

tourist information centres
local authority leisure departments
hotels
travel agencies
tour companies and visitor attractions.

Experience in retail, marketing or the information sector (for example, in a library or museum) is also useful.

Some tourism-related degrees include an optional work placement year that can help you build up relevant experience. Getting involved with local groups or associations is also useful and shows your interest in and commitment to the local area.

Many tourist information centre managers have had previous jobs in other related sectors and use the skills and experience they've built up to move into management roles within visitor information services.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The main employers of tourist information centre managers are local authorities, usually district, borough or city councils.

Other employers include:

national parks
wildlife trusts
private tourist attractions
area tourism partnerships
the National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland
English Heritage
The Forestry Commission and similar organisations.

Funding for tourist information centres is often subject to local authority budgets, and councils have had to make cutbacks in recent years. This, along with more people accessing information online, has changed how services are delivered and created some uncertainty in the sector. The use of volunteers has also made paid positions more competitive.

In some cases, where funding is limited or removed altogether, tourist information centres have adapted by merging with council one-stop shops and offering a reduced service, or by moving into the private sector and working more closely with local businesses or attractions.

Look for job vacancies at:

jobsgopublic
local authority and council websites - for contact and website details, search Find your local council.
Local Government Jobs
Tourism Management Institute - vacancies accessible to TMI members.

Professional development

Most of your training will be on the job. You may receive induction training, with opportunities to attend courses or workshops on topics such as:

customer care
merchandising
disability awareness
management.

You'll also be required to familiarise yourself with local attractions and facilities.

Funding for training may be available from your local authority. You're largely responsible for your own continuing professional development (CPD) and will need to identify your training needs, e.g. developing management or leadership skills, and then seek out relevant learning opportunities.

Becoming a member of a professional body can be useful for networking and professional development opportunities, as well as keeping up to date with industry developments.

The national tourism resource Visit Britain provides useful news, insights and resources for tourism professionals.

Career prospects

You may begin your career as a tourist information centre assistant. With experience, there may be opportunities to move into a supervisory position and on to manager level. Alternatively, you may move into the role from a management position in a related sector.

Career development may involve progressing into other roles within local government, particularly in tourism, visitor services or marketing. Another possibility is to join one of the regional or national tourist boards, where the work may involve developing tourism strategies for an area and promoting the region to visitors.

The experience you gain as a tourist information centre manager can also be used in information services, for example, in libraries and information management. However, for this type of move, a postgraduate qualification may be necessary. Alternatively, you could move into the retail sector or the wider service or hospitality industries.