International Field Trip

Each year, students who are in the Adventure Tourism international development courses of the Bachelor of Tourism Management Degree travel to various areas in Chile to study Spanish, travel throughout the country, interact with government economic development personnel and adventure tourism operators, and get involved in community development work.

These are exciting opportunities for students who are interested in "social enterprise" work and in using their knowledge and skills to assist others in developing their dreams. Most of this work is conducted in remote and indigenous areas of Chile and is subsidized by local communities and social service agencies. The field school to Chile occurs between late and April and June each year.

To prepare for this work abroad, the following courses are offered:

• ADVG 410 - Adventure Tourism Field Trip
• ADVG 405 - Adventure Tourism International Business Development
• ADVG 409 - Adventure Tourism International Community Development

Completion of these courses comprises the International Adventure Tourism Community Development Minor or form part of the Adventure Studies Major, depending on a student's course of study.

From 2003 to 2005, students worked in the small coastal town of Puyuhuapi, Aysén Region, Patagonia, Chile. See pictures and a description of the work completed in 2004 here. The TRU Adventure Studies Department was very involved with CORFO, the Chilean government economic development ministry assisting in the development of an adventure tourism industry. The Patagonia Aysén program was CORFO's tourism development initiative in the Aysén region of Chile.

In 2006, students worked on an eco and adventure tourism development plan for the Alto Bio Bio region of Chile. They were based in the community of Lonquimay and began a long-standing relationship with the Chilean government agency FOSIS, the social service ministry of Chile.

In 2007, 2008, and 2009, students were involved in the development of a tourism industry in the Atacama community of Camiña, a remote community in northern Chile, in the Tarapaca Region, close to the Bolivian border. Students have assisted with creating a long-term development plan, planning hiking routes, developing gaucho tour product, and have started working on marketing programs. The residents of Camiña have enthusiastically welcomed TRU's involvement, and the community and the government social development agency FOSIS both subsidize the trip and work alongside the students. See a presentation of the TRU Adventure Tourism Field School, Camina, Chile in 2007-2008.

In 2010, students returned to the Alto Bio Bio region of Chile and worked in the communities of Teodoro Schmidt, Carahue, and Toltén.

In 2011, students began work on a three-year contract in the community of Panguipulli. See the 2011 Panguipulli Presentation students gave to the community on sport fishing and tourism.

In 2012, one group of students will return to Panguipulli and another will begin a project in Ecuador.

For additional information on Patagonia follow the links below.