Airport hotels gear up for the Games

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 42, Issue 3

Tourism South East is offering businesses the chance to sign up for a package of business support and training themed around major events and conferences.

The Hosting the World initiative aims to ensure that the region’s tourism industry gains maximum benefit from the opportunities that the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide.

Hotels in and around London’s Heathrow Airport have been among the first to benefit from the funding, provided by the South-East England Development Agency.

“We recognize the need to up the game on our service and mindset ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games,” said Andrew Huxsted, general manager of the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel. “We are going to be the gateway to this event for the whole world, which will bring to the UK 203 competing nations, an estimated 10,000 athletes, 7 million fans and 20,000 from the media. The whole hotel team will be ready to give our guests an enhanced arrival or departure experience.”

A tailored program of courses for the hotels includes: a “training the team” event, at Ascot Race Course; “creating the coaches”, at Sheraton London Heathrow; and “welcoming the world” and “meeting the media”, at Heathrow Windsor Marriott.

John Williams, Tourism South East chairman, commented: “The warmth of welcome visitors receive from those working at hotels around Heathrow Airport will be crucial to the success of 2012 and the longer term legacy that we want to create. By signing up to Hosting the World, these hotels are already one step ahead and their participation will help to deliver world-class customer care,building a positive reputation not only for the hotels but for the south-east region and the UK.”

Similar courses will be staged for hotels around London’s second main airport, Gatwick.