This resource and interactive graphic was developed by Abby Kidder, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Major, graduating May 2026.
Just like any other industry, professional development is vital for tourism professionals and destinations to continue to evolve. There is a wide range of professional development opportunities and a need to better understand what is available. With funding provided by an Appalachian Regional Commission ARISE Planning Grant, A Tourism Leaders Educational Compass (ATLEC) was created to be a quick, yet comprehensive list of professional development opportunities.
Category Glossary
Courses (linked): A structured learning experience focused on a specific topic or skill, often with defined objectives/outcomes and a final assessment/project
Community Wide (linked): A collaborative, multi-step program that engages an entire community in meeting specific standards or criteria to achieve standards and/or official certification
Education Series (linked): A sequence of related courses or sessions designed to build knowledge progressively across multiple topics or themes. Does not have a final assessment or project
Workshop (linked): A one-time (or series of) interactive, hands-on learning sessions centered on practical application and focused on skill-building. Done with fellow peers or led by an expert to promote idea sharing and collaboration
All opportunities are considered active and/or facilitated learning opportunities, rather than passive learning. Excluding the types of opportunities listed below is to ensure that this resource maintains a high level of relevancy, effectiveness, and value to destination leaders in the United States.
ATLEC has none of the following:
- Degree granting opportunities
- Conferences
- Webinars
- Internationally based or non-U.S. based opportunities
- Meeting/networking opportunities
- Seminars
- Opportunities specific to those who work within a specific sector of tourism, but are not relevant to destination leaders (e.g. agritourism facilitation workshop, hotel front desk training, etc.)
Request an Addition to ATLEC
Do you have a professional development opportunity that you feel fits into our database? Tell us about it in the form linked below!
*Please acknowledge that a request for addition does not guarantee that the educational opportunity will be added to the database.
