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Best Education Offerings for Ecotourism Professionals

Carol Patterson ŠKalahari Management Inc. www.kalahari-online.com

Your Experience × What

was the last new capability you acquired? × Where and how did you learn it? × What were the obstacles you had to overcome?

Human Resource Challenges × × × × × ×

Changing demographics Increasing urbanization Traditional labor pools shrinking Competition from other industries Perception of tourism careers Shortage of college students in ecotourism and outdoor adventure programs

Internet-based Training Can help to: × Attract new labor sources × Provide access to small groups in remote locations × Allow training at non-conventional times × Spread training costs across more students × Allow sharing of resources across training organizations

Online Training Formats Ă—Certifications e.g. http://www.explorers-guide.com

Online Training Formats Ă—Simulations e.g. http://www.buildyourownbar.ca

Online Training Formats Issue Discussion/Resolution e.g. http://forum.planeta.com

Online Training Formats Ă—Capacity

Building e.g.

www.kalahari-online.com

Online Training Formats Ă—Marketing

Assistance e.g.

http://www.adventurebizsuccess.com

Audience Experience How many people have taken online training? × How happy were you with the experience? × Would you do it again? ×

Issues for Ecotourism Destination Development More emphasis needed on evaluating tourism inventories × Difficulty in finding and interpreting relevant market research × Need to reduce risk when doing a product market match × Lack of funding for implementation strategies ×

Kalahari Management Online Workshops Modules include: × Creating Careers and Businesses from Nature Tourism × Creating Tourism Products × Are You Market Ready? × Increasing Your Market Share? × Developing Your Tourism Destination Sustainably

Workshops Can provide: × Industry-tested techniques × Feedback from industry professionals × Low cost networking × Individualized learning pace and feedback × Reduced training costs

Questions?