Greater Palm Springs is a desert region in Southern California and is home to nine distinct cities running west to east along the Coachella Valley. The destination’s geography has resulted in disparities in opportunities and services available to residents and visitors. Tourism has lent commonality to the region as its top economic activity, generating $8.7 billion for the local economy and supporting 1 in 4 jobs. Our nine cities hold a shared goal of sustainably growing tourism in the region; however, the workforce remains fragmented – we needed a way to unite our tourism workforce and create an equitable environment for all to participate in this growth. To address this disparity, Visit Greater Palm Springs devised TEAM GPS, a program to connect these cities and provide the workforce with knowledge and skills needed to excel in their careers, while empowering them to shape and support a sustainable tourism industry.
Keywords: connections ; diversity ; california ; desert ; management ; culture preservation ; heritage preservation
