An online training portal aimed at those working in Lanarkshire’s tourism and hospitality industry has launched today (19 May), designed to provide education on the value of the sector and ensure its visitors receive the high levels of service.

BeLanarkshire has been developed by the Lanarkshire Area Tourism Partnership (ATP), which includes representatives from North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire councils, VisitScotland and other private sector partners.

The online programme – which is free and takes around two hours to complete – educates and tests participants on areas of essential knowledge and skills in the business and leisure tourism sectors, which combined currently contribute around £317m to the Lanarkshire economy. An estimated three million visitors travel to the area annually.

The modules available are titled; The Lanarkshire Experience, Exceeding Customer Expectations, Maintaining Positive Attitude, Handling Customer Feedback and Continually Improving.

“Tourism is a major contributor both for jobs and the local economy in Lanarkshire and we are proud to say that we have an excellent reputation for providing a warm welcome to visitors, with many people choosing to return again and again,” said chair of the Lanarkshire Area Tourism Partnership Mark Calpin.

“BeLanarkshire has been designed to ensure workers across the hospitality and tourism sector continue to act as ambassadors for the area. This is especially important when we consider the plethora of events that will be taking place across Scotland this year, presenting Lanarkshire with a real opportunity to shine on a global platform.”