Turning Your Staff Into Local Tourism Ambassadors

Visitors don’t only drop into visitor centres and big-ticket attractions on weekends. They’re ducking into cafés, cellar doors, plant nurseries, galleries, boutiques and bakeries all week long. And every time someone walks through your door, you have a golden chance to make their Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges experience even better.

Your team is often the first warm welcome a visitor receives. When staff feel confident sharing local suggestions, you’re doing more than delivering great service; you’re helping people connect with the region, stay longer, and leave with a reason to come back.

The good news? You don’t need complicated training sessions or a rehearsed script. Creating local ambassadors is about building a culture of pride, keeping your team in the loop, and making it easy to start the right kind of conversation.

Build a culture of local pride

Local pride is catchy. When your team feels connected to the region, they’ll talk about it naturally.

• Lead by example. Share your own favourites, seasonal highlights, and go-to recommendations with visitors.
• Bring local into everyday team chats. Mention new openings, upcoming events, or “what’s on” in team meetings. Even a quick two-minute roundup makes a difference.
• Celebrate the champions. If a staff member gives a great local tip, call it out and say thanks. It reinforces that local knowledge is part of your service style.

Small habits create a big 'we love where we live' energy.

Be a tourist in your own backyard

You can’t recommend what you haven’t experienced and the best tips come from firsthand knowledge.

• Plan simple team outings to local galleries, markets, cellar doors, nature spots, and new experiences, so your team can talk about them with confidence.
• Keep staff celebrations local. Choose nearby venues and activities for team catch-ups and milestones. It supports other businesses and strengthens everyone’s local knowledge at the same time.

When staff see the region through fresh eyes, their recommendations sound genuine, not generic.

Join our Partner Famil Program

Want to level up your team’s local knowledge while strengthening regional connections? Take part in our Partner Famil Program to showcase your business to other Tourism East partners and support the region through collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Learn more about the Partner Famil Program by clicking here.

Make it easy to start the conversation

Not everyone is a natural chatterbox, so give your team a few simple openers they can use comfortably:

• “Are you visiting or local?”
• “Have you had a chance to explore much yet?”
• “If you enjoyed this, you’ll probably love…” (share a local tip)

It’s not about memorising a script. It’s about opening the door to a helpful moment. Even a small suggestion, like a great coffee stop, an easy scenic drive, or a short walk with a view, can turn a good day out into a memorable one.

Every interaction a visitor has with your team helps shape how they remember their time in the region. When staff feel proud, informed, and comfortable sharing local ideas, it shows and it flows on to the visitor economy. It’s simple, achievable, and surprisingly powerful.

**adapted with thanks, from resources created by Murray Regional Tourism