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?