Colorado, home to skiing, rafting and other outdoor excursions, will now be home to the first adventure tourism graduate program in the country at Colorado State University.
“It couldn’t be more perfect,” said Mark Gasta, associate professor and program director for the new graduate certificate. “It is our state’s brand. We are an iconic place for adventure. It’s only fitting we are the first.”
The online courses, which start next semester, are designed to teach the skills needed to develop and manage different adventure tourism offerings — everything from motorcycle and rafting trips to heli-skiing and fishing trips.
The adventure and outdoor recreation industry is diverse and, according to information from Colorado State University, tallies $887 billion in spending each year and supports 7.6 million jobs.
“The outdoor recreation industry represents a new economy,” Luis Benitez, director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, said in a news release. “The leaders of this economy will need to have a deep understanding of our natural resources and how to integrate the components of innovation, heat and wellness into a vision for what comes next.”
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