Pós-Graduação em Ecoturismo e Guias de Natureza

Presentation

This offer will allow the reinforcement of training in the area of ecotourism, the interpretation of nature, the creation of new tourist offers, the natural heritage, and the profession of nature guide, not only to active tourism professionals, but also to graduates from various areas, such as tourism, sport, geology, biology, geography, environmental sciences, and related training, and who wish to see their skills in these areas enhanced. The European Association for the Interpretation of Heritage – Interpret Europe –https://www.facebook.com/interpreteurope/ is an associate partner of the NATOUR project, responsible for the construction of this teaching offer, so this new postgraduate degree in Ecotourism and Nature Guides includes the international certification "IE Certified Interpretive Guide course", which corresponds to a course for Interpretive Guides lasting 40 hours, and that it is composed of practical exercises that allow a quick perception of how the Heritage Interpretation is applied, and leads to a discovery of the theoretical principles and contributions of various authors in this field. To receive the certification, postgraduate participants will have to become members of Interpret Europe.

Objectives

List of competences Technical skills • To be able to recognize the ecological and biodiversity values at a tourism location. • To further develop and deliver guidance, tools and techniques in personal delivery skills for nature guiding. • To be able to look for update knowledges and skills, in order to be actualized in nature-based tourism and ecotourism principles and normative. • To be able to apply techniques of assistance, oratory and group leadership. • To be able to incorporate in a responsible way the knowledge on natural and cultural heritage and the local cosmovision to improve ecotourism experiences. • To be able to devise innovative and tailor-made ways of involving and actively engaging visitors in heritage interpretation, dialogue and human-nature (re)connection, improving visitors’ experience. • To be able to plan the resources for the execution of tourism experiences, including the organization of work teams. • To be able to develop and use field-guides and to help implement ecotourism activities. • To be able to design sustainable tourism products and services based on experiences for the customers’ profile by integrating joy and care of the environment. • To be able to deliver the best experiences and activities based on tourist demand but also on the supply of experiences built in a bottom-up approach based on solid principles of ecotourism. • To be able to use efficiency ICT tools for the development and implementation of an ecotourism product, in favour of the sustainable tourism proposal and experience. • To be able to read a map and the basic needs for self-orientation and GPS using. • To be able to apply first aid techniques and basic evacuation techniques. Managerial skills • To be able to plan, organize, direct and control an ecotourism and nature guiding activity, providing personalized customer service to all groups of customers. • To be able to cooperate with ecotourism stakeholders to develop and deliver a value creating activity. • To be able to identify and apply good practices of management in tourism industry. • To be able to apply different skills to promote sustainable tourism in different regions according to their resources and potential. • To be able to apply legal, safety and sanitary procedures in the tourism operation. • To be able to identify and relate all the variables under management of an ecotourism or nature guide enterprise. • To be able to prepare briefings before a guided tour and to organize and prepare the logistics and activities required for a guided activity and tourism process. • To be able to build interpretative plans. Interpersonal skills • To be able to communicate in an appropriate way the interpretive message, according to the type of tourists, demonstrating verbal and nonverbal communication skills, as well as active listening skills in the professional setting (e.g. during a nature guiding activity), and interpreting important terms and communication signs, on foreign languages. • To be able to connect activity participants to the site or destination intellectually and emotionally through engaging content and participatory activities, delivering personalised interpretation that increases the potential for transformative experiences. To ensure that the interpretive presentation of a complex theme that involves multiple disciplines, is balanced, credible, appropriate, and accurate. • To be able to proactively identify and resolve conflicts through mediation, problem solving, compromising, etc. • To be able to manage relationships among and between nature guiding activity participants and local community members. Sustainability-related skills • To demonstrate environmentally responsible behaviour in natural areas, particularly during nature guiding activities, encouraging visitors’ support for environmental protection initiatives.

Admission Requirements

Holders of a bachelor's degree in Nature, Nature and Heritage Guides, Biology or related areas, Geology and Geosciences or related areas, Environmental Sciences, Tourism or Management, Sports Sciences, or legally equivalent qualification may apply for the course.

Professional Opportunities

Nature guides, tour operators, entrepreneurs in the field of ecotourism, animators of interpretation centres, park rangers, specialists in the public administration.