Cruise Seasonal Travel Advisor

Cruise Seasonal Travel Advisor Part Time Seasonal Post April to Sept 2025 Based at Cruise Welcome Hub Closing Date: 12 noon, Friday 31st January 2025 Do you enjoy telling people about our amazing city and Northern Ireland? about the stories and the people?, the things to see and do and even taste? Then this seasonal role could be the new opportunity you are looking for. Working on average 16 hours per week on 4 hour a day shifts usually starting around 8am, you will be one of the first faces our guests will see. You will help signpost visitors and sell tickets for various attractions and give that big Northern Ireland welcome. Belfast was recognised as the Best UK & British Isles Port of Call at the 2024 Cruise Critic UK Editors Picks Awards. Cruise Critic, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, is the worlds leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community. At the 15th annual awards Belfast took home the prize for Best Port Call for the 2023 cruise season, a year when the city enjoyed a record cruise season, with 159 cruise calls from 57 ships from 32 different cruise lines in 2023. That was an 8% increase on the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. We wish to appoint A Cruise Travel Advisor, working on average 16 hours per week, some weeks will demand more the 16 hours and others less, there will also be a number of zero hour casual contracts. Working on a rota basis hour usually between 8am and 12 noon, some afternoon shifts will be required depending on ships arrival. Having read the job description for the post please submit your CV along with a letter on how you feel you meet the essential criteria for the post, along with an indication if it is the contract or causal hours post. Job Overview Post-holders will provide an efficient and comprehensive tourist information and ticketing service for mainly for local tours, attractions, events and festivals for residents and visitors to Belfast and Northern Ireland. Excellent communication, interpersonal and customer care skills will be essential. A thorough knowledge of Belfast and Northern Irelands visitor attractions, tours, events and festivals, as well as an excellent local knowledge of Belfast and Northern Ireland as a holiday destination is required. Fluency in a European language is desirable. Usually working mornings including weekends and bank holidays, we be part of this role. Please see the full job description and specification for further details. Remuneration The hourly rate for these positions is £12.00 per hour from 1st April. Location Post holders will be based in the Belfast Cruise Hub (Airport Road West) with occasional shifts at the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre (VBWC). Hours of Work This position is an average 16 hours weekly on a rota basis. Which will require you to work occasional weekends, Bank Holidays and evenings as required. A draft rota will be discussed at interview. Annual Leave The leave year runs from 1 January to 31 December. Annual leave entitlement is 25 days per year pro rata, Bank holidays are paid at double time all other hours as normal. Payment is made in lieu of Annual Leave quarterly based on hours worked. Pensions Visit Belfast is a member of the NI Local Government Officers Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) pension scheme, with a 19.7% employer contribution. Other Benefits Visit Belfast participates in a number of HMRC approved salary sacrifice schemes which allow employees to benefit from goods and services through monthly payroll deductions which provide tax and national insurance savings. About Visit Belfast Visit Belfast (formerly Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau) is a public/private sector partnership funded and supported by Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and the private sector. It is the official tourism marketing agency for the Belfast City Region, dedicated to promoting Belfast as a city break, conference and cruise ship destination. It is also responsible for the operation of three gateway tourist information centres, and the Visitor Information desk at the Cruise Welcome Hub. Visit Belfast represents more than 500 tourism businesses and services across the industry including accommodation providers, attractions, conference venues and services, tour operators, transport providers, entertainment venues, restaurants and cafes, pubs and clubs and event organisers. It provides an extensive range of marketing platforms for tourism businesses to promote their products and services to travel trade and consumers. In marketing Belfast as a world class destination, we are keen to work with businesses that reflect the best of what the city has to offer potential visitors. Visit Belfasts core purpose is to create and service visitors for Belfast and Northern Ireland in order to generate an economic benefit for the city region, creating jobs and wealth. More information about Visit Belfast can be found on our website. Job Description POSITION: Cruise Seasonal Travel Advisors Part-time (average 16 hours per week) Seasonal (April to September 2024) DEPARTMENT: Visitor Servicing REPORTING TO: Cruise Co-Ordinators and Head of Visitor Services Operations SALARY: £12.00 per hour from 1st April. Reporting to the Cruise Co-Ordinators or the Head of Visitor Services Operations. Travel Advisors are responsible for the provision of an efficient and comprehensive information service primarily for visitors arriving in Belfast and Northern Ireland but also for Northern Ireland residents. Visit Belfast is looking for seasonal Travel Advisors based at the Cruise Welcome Hub in Belfast Harbour. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide an information service on attractions, transport, tours, events, places of interest etc. in Belfast and Northern Ireland for tourists and Northern Ireland residents visiting the Cruise Welcome Hub. The booking of transport and tour tickets, sale of literature, other goods and services and associated cash handling. The selling, cross-selling, up-selling for events, tours, festivals through VBs ticketing system. Occasional sales of gifts through the gift shop, including reaching daily sales targets. Occasional replenish stock levels when needed, making sure the full range is on the shop floor where possible. The daily recording and monitoring of all enquiries and sales from whatever source and completion of the required format. The daily maintenance of information files and records and racking of literature displays. Completion of Visitor Satisfaction Surveys to the required set targets. The provision of any other form of service with which the post holder may be charged in accordance with Visit Belfasts general activities. Undertake other duties as required by management. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Visit Belfast operates a system of performance appraisal set against a set of pre-determined targets and objectives. HOURS OF WORK This position is an average 18 hours weekly on a rota basis. Which will require you to work occasional weekends, Bank Holidays and evenings as required. A draft rota will be provided at interview. UNIFORM Uniforms will be provided along with the Visit Belfast uniform policy. The VBWC uniform will consist of a branded polo shirt and fleece which should be worn along with plain black jeans and shoes. SMOKING POLICY Visit Belfast operates a no smoking policy. Smoking is strictly prohibited within Visit Belfast sites. Personnel Specification Essential Criteria Qualifications: A minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C or above, including English and Maths. Relevant Experience: One year of customer service work experience, ideally in a visitor-facing role. Proven and demonstrable experience in sales and selling skills. A thorough knowledge of Belfast and Northern Ireland as a tourist destination. Special Aptitudes: Excellent written and spoken English. Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills. Ability to work on own initiative, with energy, enthusiasm, and as part of a team. Excellent customer care skills. Smart appearance. Access to a form of transport to meet the needs of various shift patterns. Circumstances: Available to work outside normal hours, as required. Good flexibility and availability across the working week. Desirable Criteria Qualifications: A third-level qualification, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline (e.g., Travel/Tourism, Leisure/Hospitality, Business, or Languages). Relevant Experience: Work experience with ticketing systems. Experience working in a tourist information service, visitor-focused position, travel trade, or similar. One year of customer service work experience in a retail environment. Proven and demonstrable experience in sales and selling skills. Cash handling and till-handling experience. Special Aptitudes: Fluency in at least one European language, in addition to English. Excellent and demonstrable working knowledge and experience of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook (to be specified clearly in the application).