From Maps to Memories: Welcoming Visitors to Providence
When visitors arrive in Providence, Phyllis Blanchette is often one of the first people to welcome them.
In this episode of PVD POV, GoProvidence Visitor Services Manager Phyllis Blanchette takes us behind the desk at the Providence Visitor Center. She shares how answering a newspaper ad for a volunteer opportunity launched her career in tourism, what brought her back to Rhode Island and why personal recommendations still matter in the age of smartphones.
Phyllis also shares some of her most memorable visitor stories, from helping international soccer fans explore Rhode Island to finding emergency dental care, arranging last-minute transportation to Block Island and meeting a sixth grader whose Rhode Island book report inspired her family’s summer vacation.
Plus, hear how the Visitor Center’s volunteers explore Providence so they can help travelers experience the city like a local.
Listen to PVD POV wherever you get your podcasts.