TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - He calls himself Twitchy.
Stuart Ellis-Myers suffers from Tourette's Syndrome.
But he does not let the life-long condition get in the way of capturing the attention of his audiences.
The professional speaker has a background in tourism and spoke to area tourism leaders, business owners and others Monday in Tupelo.
Ellis-Myers said, "The message is that everyone in tourism and from the chamber goes home and over-wow's one person. It doesn't matter if you're the front desk, a waiter or the big boss. Get out of your comfort zone. Maybe it's a rose, an apple, or maybe walking up to someone and telling them here's something that can surprise and make their day."
Local leaders say it's good advice and a good reminder to those in the industry that it takes everyone going the extra mile to keep tourists coming back.
Kristy White with Corinth Visitors and Convention Bureau said, "The front line workers are your make it or break it when visitors come. It's just that positive visitor experience for folks."
The great attractions aside, it's the people, Twitchy says, that ultimately make or break the positive visitor experience.
Officials at the meeting say it's an important time for tourism both locally and around the state.
One leader says the importance of the thousands of visitors each year and multi-millions in revenue can't be underestimated.
Neal McCoy with Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau said, "It's about getting out there and letting our front line employees know the value of that customer service experience. The tourism industry certainly has been thriving as of late and it's our chance to go to that next level."
And these tourism officials are hoping a little fun and inspiration from this professional speaker will go a long way in helping to achieve their goals.
