| Miami
Beach, FL � October 2001 � �Our City wants to do everything possible to
make your visit a pleasant experience. If you need information or help,
call me. If you enjoyed your stay, tell everyone. If you did not, tell
me. Please call our Tourist Hot-Line, 305/673-7400,� so said Michael Aller,
the Tourism and Convention Director of the City
of Miami Beach. He prints his cell phone number on business cards and
flyers that are distributed by the thousands. Since 1995, the Tourist Hot
Line has been a source of information and assistance to everyone who calls.
�It's
a 911-kind of call,� Aller said. �I am here for tourists, and sometimes
even residents, when they need a helping hand. Callers get immediate response.�
Aller and the City of Miami Beach obviously believe in going that extra
mile, as Aller said, he gets calls at every hour of the day and night,
when he is in town and even when he's not. �Requests come in for every
possible kind of assistance from helping visitors who are stranded to problems
with hotels not delivering a promised service, to even, unfortunately,
from visitors who might have been victims of theft or in an accident. We
also give out important tourism information to people all over the globe.�
Bill
Talbert, president of the Greater Miami & the Beaches Convention &
Visitors Bureau, noted, �Particularly after September 11, local services
such as the Tourist Hot Line, are critically important to continue and
even grow so that visitors feel even more special and more welcome to this
world class destination.�
Michael
Furcht, the incoming chairman of the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel
Association said simply, �Michael is just completely dedicated.� That was
confirmed recently with a late night phone call from a 78-year old resident
of Miami Beach. �I'm scared, I heard a plane overhead,� this woman said
to Aller, during the days in mid-September when there were no planes flying.
�I don't know who else to call.� Aller soothed her fears, assured her safety,
and spoke with her the next morning to make sure she was truly OK. �She
just needed some human reassurance,� Aller said. �It's nice to know that
we can do that for anyone, tourist or resident.�
Neisen
Kasdin, mayor of the City of Miami Beach noted, �Information is so valuable,
especially at this time. The Tourist Hot Line allows visitors and potential
visitors a real person in Michael -- known to many as �Mr. Miami Beach,�
that Miami Beach is safe and a great place to visit.� The Miami Beach Tourist
Hot Line, at 305/673-7400, is multi-lingual and completely without charge.
Contact:
Cheryl
Andrews Marketing, Coral Gables, Fla.
Cheryl
Andrews, 305/444-4033 PRCheryl@aol.com |