Heritage Tourism Coordinator

Status: Full-Time
Schedule: Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Reports to: Executive Director

Position Summary

Belmont County Tourism is seeking an outgoing, motivated, and community-minded professional to serve as Heritage Tourism Coordinator. This unique position combines heritage tourism, visitor experience, group travel, sales, and tourism development to help connect visitors with the people, places, and stories that make Belmont County special.

Based at the Black Horse Inn in Morristown, the Heritage Tourism Coordinator will play an important role in the visitor experience and daily operations of the new Underground Railroad Experience at the Black Horse Inn, while also supporting heritage tourism initiatives and visitor experiences throughout Belmont County. The Black Horse Inn will also serve as a satellite Belmont County Welcome Center, providing visitors with information and recommendations that encourage exploration throughout the county.

A major focus of this position will be connecting Belmont County's individual attractions into compelling countywide experiences and itineraries. The Coordinator will work with museums, historic sites, restaurants, lodging properties, outdoor recreation, shopping, events, and other tourism partners to create experiences that encourage visitors to explore more of the county, stay longer, and support local businesses.

The Coordinator will also help grow Belmont County's group-tour market by building relationships with motorcoach operators, schools, senior groups, clubs, organizations, and other group-travel audiences. This requires someone who can enthusiastically tell the story and sell the experience, follow up with prospective groups, and turn interest into actual visits.

This is a highly public-facing position. The ideal candidate enjoys working with people, has excellent customer service skills, is comfortable speaking with individuals and groups, and is genuinely interested in history, tourism, and the communities of Belmont County. The successful candidate will also be a self-starter who is organized, motivated, data-driven, and willing to take initiative.

Regular working hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some schedule flexibility may occasionally be required for special events, programs, group tours, and tourism activities.

Key Responsibilities

Heritage Tourism & Visitor Experience Duties Include:

Serve as a welcoming, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic representative of Belmont County Tourism
Assist with daily visitor operations at the Black Horse Inn and Underground Railroad Experience
Help operate the satellite Belmont County Welcome Center at the Black Horse Inn, connecting visitors with attractions, communities, businesses, events, and experiences throughout Belmont County
Become knowledgeable about Belmont County's history, communities, heritage attractions, and visitor experiences
Help interpret and share local history in an engaging, accurate, and approachable way
Assist with tours, educational programming, school visits, special events, and other visitor experiences
Provide exceptional customer service to visitors, groups, tourism partners, and members of the public
Provide personalized recommendations for museums, attractions, restaurants, lodging, outdoor recreation, shopping, events, and other experiences throughout Belmont County
Encourage visitors to explore beyond the Black Horse Inn by recommending additional stops and helping build personalized visitor experiences
Help ensure museum and Welcome Center areas are welcoming, organized, professional, and ready for guests

Itinerary & Tourism Experience Development Duties Include:

Develop creative and compelling countywide itineraries that connect visitors with multiple Belmont County communities, attractions, and businesses
Build experiences incorporating museums, historic sites, restaurants, lodging, outdoor recreation, shopping, events, entertainment, and other tourism assets
Develop themed itineraries around Belmont County's history, heritage, culture, food, outdoor recreation, communities, and unique attractions
Customize itineraries for motorcoach groups, school groups, families, senior travelers, special-interest groups, and other audiences
Work with tourism partners to coordinate timing, capacity, meals, pricing, transportation considerations, and other itinerary logistics
Identify opportunities to turn single-attraction visits into multi-stop experiences, day trips into longer visits, and day trips into overnight stays
Continually identify new experiences and partnerships that can strengthen Belmont County as a destination
Look beyond individual attractions to create visitor experiences that strengthen the overall tourism and economic impact throughout Belmont County

Group Tourism, Sales & Relationship Development Duties Include:

Help develop and grow Belmont County's group-tour market
Promote and sell Belmont County experiences to motorcoach operators, tour planners, schools, senior groups, clubs, organizations, and other group-travel audiences
Respond to group-tour inquiries and proactively cultivate new leads and relationships
Communicate confidently and enthusiastically about Belmont County's attractions, history, communities, and visitor experiences
Follow up consistently with prospective groups to help convert inquiries into booked visits
Coordinate group-tour scheduling, itineraries, and communication with participating tourism partners
Maintain relationships with tour operators, group leaders, schools, and organizations to encourage repeat visitation
Identify new audiences and opportunities for heritage and group-tour growth
Represent Belmont County Tourism at travel shows, tourism events, familiarization tours, networking opportunities, and other outreach activities as needed

Partnership & Community Engagement Duties Include:

Build and maintain strong relationships with Belmont County museums, historical organizations, attractions, restaurants, lodging properties, businesses, and community partners
Serve as a resource and connector for local museums and heritage organizations
Encourage collaboration and cross-promotion among tourism partners
Work with partners to identify stories and experiences that can become part of larger countywide itineraries
Attend community, tourism, museum, and partner meetings as needed
Assist the Executive Director with heritage tourism projects, partnerships, and special initiatives

Data, Performance & Administrative Duties Include:

Track visitation, group tours, inquiries, bookings, programs, and visitor activity
Track group-tour leads from initial contact through conversion and completed visit
Maintain accurate and organized records of tourism partners, tour contacts, programs, itineraries, and visitor activity
Monitor key performance indicators and identify trends, opportunities, and areas for growth
Assist in measuring return on investment (ROI) and tourism impact associated with group travel, programs, promotions, and heritage tourism initiatives
Gather visitor feedback and use data to help evaluate and improve experiences
Prepare regular activity and performance reports for the Executive Director
Use data, visitor feedback, and partner input to recommend new programs, itineraries, markets, and tourism opportunities
Assist with developing visitor information, itineraries, tour materials, educational resources, and promotional content
Perform additional tourism and visitor-service duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required:

Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills with a genuine enthusiasm for working with the public
Outgoing, approachable, professional, and comfortable initiating conversations and building relationships
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Ability to confidently promote and sell visitor experiences
Strong relationship-building and follow-up skills
Excellent organizational and time-management skills
Ability to coordinate multiple projects, schedules, partners, and priorities
Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and take initiative
Comfortable working with data, tracking results, and evaluating performance
Ability to use spreadsheets and general office technology to maintain records and track performance
Ability to work collaboratively with visitors, tourism partners, community organizations, volunteers, and staff
Genuine interest in history, tourism, museums, hospitality, education, community development, and visitor experiences
Availability to work the regular Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. schedule, with occasional flexibility for special events and programs outside regular hours
Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for travel throughout Belmont County as needed

Preferred:

Associate or bachelor's degree in tourism, hospitality, history, museum studies, business, marketing, communications, education, public relations, or a related field
Previous experience in tourism, hospitality, museums, historic sites, visitor services, sales, group travel, education, event coordination, or community development
Experience developing itineraries, group tours, educational programs, visitor experiences, or special events
Experience with sales, business development, group bookings, or relationship management
Experience tracking visitation, leads, conversions, sales, ROI, or other performance measures
Familiarity with Belmont County and the surrounding region
Experience working with museums, tourism partners, nonprofit organizations, community groups, or volunteers

Core Competencies

Exceptional customer service
Outgoing and comfortable working with the public
Appreciation for history and storytelling
Sales-minded and results-oriented
Creative itinerary and experience builder
Strong relationship-builder and collaborator
Self-starter with a strong sense of initiative
Motivated, energetic, and dependable
Data-driven and comfortable measuring results
Organized with strong attention to follow-through
Curious and eager to learn
Comfortable speaking to individuals and groups
Passionate about strengthening Belmont County through tourism

The Heritage Tourism Coordinator is hired by the Executive Director of Belmont County Tourism Council, Inc. and approved by the Belmont County Tourism Council Board of Directors.

Applications must include a cover letter, salary requirements, and resume submitted by email to jpugh@visitbelmontcounty.com. This position will remain open until filled, with review of candidates to begin immediately.

About Belmont County Tourism

Belmont County Tourism leads destination marketing, partnership development, and tourism initiatives that strengthen the local economy and promote the region's heritage, outdoor recreation, communities, businesses, and visitor experiences.

With continued investment in heritage tourism and the opening of the Underground Railroad Experience at the historic Black Horse Inn, Belmont County has an opportunity to connect its individual attractions and stories into stronger, more comprehensive visitor experiences.

The Heritage Tourism Coordinator will help bring those connections to life, sharing Belmont County's history, creating memorable experiences, growing group travel, supporting local tourism partners, and encouraging visitors to explore more, stay longer, and experience more of Belmont County.

visitbelmontcounty.com

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