Cultural Tourism Enterprise Training Program

This self-paced training series is for Indigenous tourism entrepreneurs, operators, and suppliers in the U.S.—such as campground operators, guides, and artisans — who want to share their cultural heritage with tourists and travelers.

Developed by the GW International Institute of Tourism Studies in partnership with the Native American Development Corporation and Triia, the program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency.

This flexible, non-degree, non-credit-bearing series is designed to meet the needs of Native entrepreneurs.

The program includes 12 hours of training in 15 modules, split across two levels.

Level 1: Visitor Readiness and Shaping the Customer Experience

Introduction to Module 1: Why Tourism Matters
Module 1: Legal Business Operations
Module 2: Tourism Business Liability
Module 3: Authentic Visitor Experiences
Module 4: The Customer Experience
Module 5: Customer Communication & Service Recovery
Module 6: Five Phases of Travel
Module 7: Online Presence

Level 2: Marketing and Product Development; Operations, Distribution and Sales

Introduction to Module 2: How Tourism Works
Module 8: Customer Segmentation
Module 9: Product Development
Module 10: Pricing Your Tourism Product
Module 11: Financial Considerations and Tourism Business Policies
Module 12: Good Practices in Operations Management
Module 13: Establishing Distribution Channels