Summer Work Travel Employer Q&A: Xanterra Travel Collection at Yellowstone National Park
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Learn more about U.S. employers who partner with CIEE BridgeUSA and our Summer Work Travel program. These businesses hire international seasonal staff to meet operational needs and participate in cultural exchange.
Q: Please introduce yourself.
A: My name is Catherine LaBelle, and I am the employee programs manager in Yellowstone National Park with Xanterra Travel Collection.
Q: Do you find the BridgeUSA program useful for your business?
A: We operate seasonally in a national park and typically hire U.S. college students for summer roles. However, this can limit staffing during other periods, making it difficult to maintain full operations. This program helps us bridge those gaps, especially during the shoulder seasons.
Q: How does hosting BridgeUSA students have a positive influence on the site and within the community?
A: Having the international students in our community is very special. We hire from almost 30 different countries from around the world. Walking into our employee dining room and hearing multiple languages spoken, and cultures being shared, is a special and unique experience for our community.
Q: In what ways have you brought the American culture to your BridgeUSA participants?
A: We share American culture with our BridgeUSA participants by taking them on trips, both within Yellowstone and outside of the park to our gateway communities. We go to rodeos, whitewater rafting, horseback riding – basically anything a tourist would want to experience while in the area. Even just something as simple as going to Walmart in town is very exciting for the students, and they love to go shopping, so it's really fun. They also have the opportunity to work alongside and befriend Americans, which allows cultural exchange to happen very organically.
Q: If you no longer had access to the BridgeUSA program, how would your business be affected?
A: It would have a big impact on our operations. During the pandemic, we really got to see what would happen if the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel program was no longer in existence, and our operations suffered. We weren't able to fully operate, and it was in big part because the program didn't exist for a couple of years.
Ready to solve your seasonal staffing challenges? Discover the talent that the CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel program can bring to your organization.