Sharing insights on Tourism in Los Alamos at the Feb. 9 Chamber Breakfast at SALA, from left, Los Alamos County Marketing Specialist/Film Liaison Kelly Stewart, LACDC Ambassador Program Manager Liz Martineau and Chamber Director Ryn Herrmann. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
Chatting after the Chamber Breakfast presentation Thursday at SALA, from left, LACDC Ambassador Program Manager Liz Martineau, Economic Development Administrator Dan Ungerleider, business owner Dr. Seva Khalsa, County Council Vice Chair Theresa Cull and SALA volunteer Kevin Holsapple. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce members heard about tourism in Los Alamos, the benefits and programming for the Los Alamos Ambassador Program, and how to leverage it for their businesses during the February Chamber Business Breakfast Thursday morning at SALA.
Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation Ambassador Program Manager Liz Martineau and Los Alamos County Marketing Specialist and Film Liaison Kelly Stewart presented at the meeting.
“Tourism has a big economic impact on Los Alamos,” Martineau said. “Los Alamos has two visitor centers that do an amazing job, but much of the responsibility to welcome people to our community falls on hostesses, waitresses and retail workers, as well as volunteers at various non-profits, and knowing how to be a good ambassador for the town can increase economic benefits.”
The top reason people visit Los Alamos is not, as many people in the audience guessed, business travel or visiting residents. The main reason is vacation and leisure, she said. This presents opportunities for local business people.
“The goal of the ambassador program is to create a community of knowledgeable ambassadors,” Martineau said. “The training is for anyone who wants to do it, whether as a business or as an individual.”
The program has rolled out training for those in hospitality and customer service, but welcomes all types of businesses. Any employer in any business who wishes to have their staff enroll in the program, can host a personalized session at their place of business, Martineau said.
There are ways to leverage tourism to grow your business, Martineau said. Some local businesses have brought in Los Alamos-themed products for sale. Other ideas might include a restaurant with special Los Alamos themed drinks or dishes. One of the most important things businesses and citizens can do is recommend local activities, businesses and attractions.
Ambassador training is a hybrid program that includes a 2.5-hour online training course and an hour in-person class. The online program may not be offered much longer, so those wishing to take the course as a hybrid should sign up now, she said. Visit the program website to learn more. Call Martineau at 505.661.4803 to learn how your business can benefit, talk about specific needs or to schedule a training.
“While there are personal and economic benefits, the real reward is creating a community that welcomes everyone,” Martineau said.
Stewart came armed with the County’s visitation numbers for 2022. A total of 221,000 visitors took 594,000 trips to Los Alamos County. Of those 113,000 were tourism visitors, Stewart said. The County expects those numbers to grow significantly with the release of the feature film “Oppenheimer” this July.
“Team Oppenheimer” meets monthly to coordinate how Los Alamos can handle the influx of visitors, and how local businesses can best leverage the growth in tourism to increase profits.
“A positive experience will make people want to return,” Stewart said. “We’re counting on everyone to welcome people to our town.”