Online course on agro-tourism available in English
San José, Costa Rica, September 26, 2011 (IICA). “Agro-eco-tourism: Basic elements to implement an innovative project on tourism” is the title of the online course aimed at English speakers and bilingual persons who wish to develop their own agro-eco-tourism enterprise or persons in charge of rural development projects.
This is the first English edition of this virtual course that already has seven Spanish editions. It is an initiative of the Organization of American States (OAS), via the Educational Portal of the Americas and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), through its Distance Training and Education Center (CECADI).
The registration deadline is October 18. The course will run from November 1st, 2011 to January 24, 2012.
This course presents content focused on rural tourism and introduces agro-eco-tourism as an alternative income from farm lands and as a way of contributing to the diversification of the national tourism product.
During its ten weeks of duration, the course will involve a series of nine modules that will focus on the study material and preparation of a project that addresses the local reality of the participants. At the end of the course, students will have an instrument that facilitates the design of a new tourism enterprise.
Some of the content to be developed during the course includes tourism economy, project formulation, study of the agro-eco-tourism market, marketing of an agro-eco-tourism project, operation of common enterprise activities, human resource management in the agro-eco-tourism enterprise, and financial feasibility.
This course is aimed mainly at owners of small and medium-scale agricultural farms and persons interested in agro-ecotourism as an alternative for the family income.
The total cost of the course is US$400; however, scholarships of US$200 will be offered to students who meet the requirements established.
In order to register, participants should first enroll on the Educational Portal of the Americasand then enter the registration webpage for the agro-eco-tourism course.
The course will be delivered entirely online through the Educational Portal of the Americas Virtual Classroom and requires basic computer skills such as electronic mail, word processing and internet surfing.
For more information, contact:
http://educoas.org/portal/ineam/cursos_2011/AETEN-E101_11.aspx?culture=en
portal@oas.org
iica.cecadi@iica.int