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I decided to learn more about Ecotourism as I wanted to start a small Eco Tour Company that would offer a range of Eco Adventure tours in Ireland. As the main part of my business is eco tours I needed to have a better understanding of eco tourism if my business was to be a success.
I found out about this course in Sligo Institute of Technology through the Greenbox network. The Greenbox is an Eco Tourism marketing & development company which markets part of the North West of Ireland as an ecotourism destination. The course I did, The National Certificate in Ecotourism, is designed for people who are already working in the industry and want to do an introductory course in ecotourism but Sligo IT now provides an undergraduate degree programme in ecotourism which is available for students straight from school: The Bachelor of Arts in Ecotourism and Event Management (3 years, Level 7)
The course I did in Sligo IT was the only course of its kind in the country and it provided me with an opportunity to join other rural tourism enterprises, agency staff such as Fáilte Ireland and community groups. I have found that ‘networking’ is very important when trying to develop a business as the more contacts you have the better.
The course as a whole interested me as it covered a number of different topics which would have helped my business.
· Introduction to ecotourism
· Ecotourism development; International, national and regional perspectives
· Economics of Ecotourism
· Ecotourism and the Environment
· Management and Marketing of Ecotourism
I really enjoyed my time in Sligo as it was great fun and I met some brilliant people. The facilities at the college were first class and the lecturers were always very helpful to me.
Also having a working and academic understanding of ecotourism means I can bring experience and knowledge with me to other jobs anywhere in the world. However the best thing about my current job is being my own boss!!
Tourism is very interesting and diverse industry with many opportunities in it. The ecotourism sector will continue to grow over the coming years so I believe I will be staying in this industry for some time to come.