Google offers free digital training to Amble

Google will be visiting Amble today, offering local businesses and residents free digital skills training with its pop-up ‘Digital Garage’.

The workshops, which will run from from 10am until 4.30pm, will focus on helping tourism and hospitality businesses, attractions and cultural institutions train their staff on the digital tools needed to attract even more visitors.

Google has partnered with Visit England, The British Hospitality Association, The National Coastal Tourism Academy and UKinbound to ensure small businesses have the right skills to help boost awareness of tourism and offerings on British coasts.

With most travel bookings starting with online research, digital skills have become essential to understanding customer needs.

A recent survey by Columbus Direct found that four in five Brits admire the coast for its ‘beautiful, unspoilt beaches and coastline with lots of natural beauty’ yet more than half of them have not visited the British seaside in the past three years.

This shows a real opportunity for hospitality businesses and tourist centres to use the power of online tools to find new visitors, take advantage of the recent boost in ‘staycations’ and even think about how to encourage more overseas visitors.

Google’s Digital Garage employs experts to provide one-to-one free mentoring and workshops to anyone interested in learning or furthering their digital skills.

This can range from restaurant owners to B&B operators, to staff from larger hotel chains. Or anyone from Amble who wants to improve their digital skills in order to succeed online. Anyone interested in signing up can find the full schedule and registration page here

First launched in Leeds in 2015, Google’s Digital Garage initiative has already helped give more than 200,000 people across the country the digital skills to succeed with many small and medium businesses reporting growth boosted by digital skills.