ABOUT GORP Certified Guide Training Program

Guide & Outfitter Recognized Professional - GORP Guide Training Program:

Become a Guide & Outfitter Recognized Professional (GORP). Supporting sustainable coastal tourism is a focus of Oregon Sea Grant. GORP Guide Training Program develops knowledge and skills of outdoor recreation guides with the goal of creating a high-value guiding industry and reducing negative human impact for a sustainable resilient environment. GORP is helping communities, businesses, and individuals use sustainable outdoor recreation and the tourism industry to thrive.

Sustainable Coastal Tourism & Outdoor Recreation Program (STOR):

Oregon Sea Grant's Sustainable Coastal Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Program works with communities and companies to help them utilize a triple bottom line (community, economy, conservation) operational framework to help them, and their communities succeed. Sustainable tourism benefits more than local economies, sustainable tourism also contributes to the social and environmental well being of an entire community.

We offer several training programs. Many are available online and can be completed from home at your own convenience. In-person workshops are available upon request. We can develop customized courses at your request. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS

STOR Training Programs:

GORP Guide Training Program
Oregon's Marine Reserve Area Training Program
Know Your Community
Practical Customer Service

OSU Extension Tourism:

The Extension Tourism program with Oregon State University Extension and Oregon Sea Grant was expanded in 2016 with the addition of an Extension Tourism specialist Miles Phillips, serving the Oregon Coast. Miles is an Associate Professor in Tourism & Business Development with the College of Business at Oregon State University.

The Oregon State University Extension Service celebrates over 100 years of educational outreach. From the beginning, OSU Extension’s mission has been to convey research-based knowledge in a way that is useful for people to improve their lives, their homes, and their communities. View Extension locations across the state.

OSU Extension faculty work with business people, growers, foresters, youth, and community leaders. They see first-hand what’s working, and what’s not working, in Oregon communities. Extension educators consult with scientists at Oregon State University, where they focus their research on the real issues important to real people. Results from that research circle back to the community through Extension programs. Knowledge grows from this cycle of reaching out and engaging the people who

use it.

UNWTO Sustainable Tourism:

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2013) defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities”. The UNWTO (2013) concluded that sustainable tourism guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations.

In 2017, the UNWTO concluded that, as one of the fastest-growing global economic sectors, tourism can “help preserve natural and cultural assets,… empower host communities, generate trade opportunities and foster peace”. However, in order to realize these goals, the tourism sector must be well designed and managed (UNWTO, 2017).