Guide & Outfitter Recognized Professional – (GORP) Professional Educational Program Miles Phillips, Oregon Sea Grant/Oregon State University Extension Assoc Professor – Sustainable Tourism, OSU College of Forestry – Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, miles.phillips@oregonstate.edu
ABSTRACT
In 2018 the Oregon Coast Visitor Association (OCVA) provided funding for Miles Phillips of Oregon Sea Grant/Oregon State University Extension to develop a new Guide Training and Recognition program (GORP) to support coastal guide businesses and communities. A review of existing training programs for guides had revealed no such program existed. Visitors that utilize guided experiences spend more than other visitors on tours and other local products, helping rural communities with economic growth and recovery from economic downturns. In communities that feel they already have too many visitors, the increased utilization of professionally guided tours can help with visitor management to reduce disruptions to local residents. Based on input from guides, tour companies and the visitor association, a set of online courses were developed by Extension. This online program can be supplemented with live workshops. The program was designed to meet the needs of guides and communities by having a low cost, flexible participation schedule, and quality content, including content on universally applicable processes and locally specific information.
2021 NET Conference Proceedings
27
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