COST:

The registration fee for the seminar is USD $7,250 and includes ground transportation from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Fort Collins at the beginning of the seminar, van transportation throughout the seminar, and back to Denver International Airport (DEN) at the end of the seminar. The seminar fee also includes tuition, seminar materials, accommodation (mostly camping) and meals, insurance (health and accident), a certificate of completion, a digital library on tourism and protected areas, seminar photographs, all administrative costs and a closing banquet. Note that the emergency accident insurance requires payment of a co-pay and deductible, meaning you might be responsible for some out of pocket costs if you require medical attention.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

During the first few days of the seminar in Fort Collins, participants are housed in a shared room with two beds in a hotel next to the university. After we leave Fort Collins, we will exclusively be camping along the seminar route in shared tents.

FREE TIME, EXTENDED STAYS, and VISITORS:

Because of the intensive schedule, participants have little free time during the seminar. Generally, our days start around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m., and can go as late as 19:00 to 21:00. Please plan accordingly by not committing to completing outside work during the seminar as well as notifying loved ones that you will likely be able to contact them in the morning and evenings. You may come early or stay additional time in the USA after the seminar for personal travel if it is within the terms of your US visa. If you chose to do so, you will be responsible for covering all additional expenses during your extended stay. The Center cannot guarantee accommodations or transportation in these cases.  Because of the mobile nature of the seminar and limited seating you are not allowed to bring any friends or family members with you during the seminar. However, there have been cases where family or friends of participants have come to Fort Collins at the end of the seminar to join participants on personal trips with these friends or relatives.

FOOD:

Some meals, both in Fort Collins and during the field portion of the course, will be provided by the course and enjoyed together with other course participants and staff. For occasions where participants are responsible for paying for their own meals, the seminar will provide each participant with a modest stipend to cover these costs. The seminar agenda will indicate which meals will be provided by the course and which meals participants will be responsible for purchasing with their meal stipend. Please note, while Fort Collins does have a variety of cuisines and high-quality restaurants to choose from, most of our course will be spent in rural areas and remote towns where food quality and options are limited.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS, DIETARY RESTRICTIONS, and MEDICINES:

This information, requested in the online application form, enables course staff to be able to provide a positive experience for all participants. We ask everyone to provide us with complete information about their health conditions, medications taken, and dietary restrictions accurately. It is important to note that this information will not affect our decisions during the participant selection process. Rather, this information will allow us to accommodate dietary restrictions and respond to participant needs adequately. If you have any health conditions or dietary restrictions that you did not disclose in the online application form, please write to [email protected] to let us know as soon as possible so that the course can make the appropriate logistical preparations, especially regarding food.

Each participant will be provided with health insurance during their participation on the course. This insurance is for emergencies only and is not for routine medical care.

We will always carry a first aid kit on our field trips that includes basic supplies (bandages, thermometers, creams) along with simple over-the-counter medicines. However, it is difficult and often costly for individuals who are not U.S. citizens or residents to buy prescription medication in the U.S.A. In addition, it is not possible to purchase this medication without first having an appointment with a local doctor to obtain a prescription as the pharmacy will not accept foreign prescriptions. Please bring enough pills of any prescription medicine you use for the entire duration of your stay.

TRANSPORTATION:

Internal transportation within your country to the port of departure to the U.S.A. and international air transportation to and from the U.S.A. is the responsibility of the participants or their institutions or sponsors. Participants must arrive at the Denver International Airport (DEN), located in Denver, Colorado on the indicated day of arrival and leave from Denver International Airport (DEN) the day after the program concludes.  

For participants who will arrive to Denver International Airport on the indicated day of arrival, course staff will meet them at the airport and provide ground transportation from the airport to the hotel in Fort Collins. Participants will receive a document that will explain airport pickup details from course staff before they travel.  The course will arrange ground transportation from Fort Collins to Denver International Airport for flights leaving on the day after the seminar concludes. During the seminar, participants will travel in 12-passenger vans driven by our staff. Because the program is largely a field-based program, participants will spend considerable time in the vans, especially on select travel days when we move onto our next destination.

MINOR COSTS:

It is recommended that each participant bring about $250 to fund personal expenses such as phone calls and calling cards, your portion of the deductible and co-pay for health insurance for any medical services rendered while in the USA, souvenirs, toiletries, gifts and personal items you might wish to buy. If you would like to bring additional funds for rain gear, cold weather clothing, or hiking boots, such items can be purchased in Fort Collins during the initial days of the seminar.

Please note that you do not need to get per diems from your donor or sponsor for the time you will spend in the USA as all meals (reasonably priced), ground transportation costs, coffee breaks, and lodging costs will be covered by your course fee, unless you plan on spending additional work-related time in the USA or must stay overnight in route to or from the seminar.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE COURSE:

To apply to the course, please follow the instructions located here.

SELECTION PROCESS NOTIFICATION:

Participants will be notified as soon as possible after the deadline to apply for admission to the course regarding the status of their application. Depending on the number of applications, this process can last several weeks. Once the selection process is complete, all applicants will receive a letter or official email from the course organizers advising them of the selection results.

PAYMENT:

The best method of payment is by electronic bank transfer. Payments must be in US dollars.

The wire transfer paperwork should form should indicate that the transfer is for “CSU Tourism Seminar, Attn: Ryan Finchum WCNR” and have your name noted as well so that funds are not lost in route. It is also important to send a copy of the bank wire receipt to [email protected].

When you or your institution are ready to make the payment, please email our center at [email protected]. to request an invoice with the necessary bank transfer information. We will email you all the details on how to make the payment via electronic bank transfer.

If for any reason it is not possible to make the payment via bank transfer, please contact our Center to discuss other alternatives. For individuals funded by certain financial institutions, these institutions typically handle payments directly to the university. Payment is also possible via credit and debit cards; if you prefer this option, please let us know so we can send you detailed instructions on how to make the payment, which must be done by phone during CSU business hours.

PASSPORTS and VISAS:

For course applicants, it is not necessary to have your passport and visa when you submit your online application form to apply to the course. If you are accepted to the course, you will have time to get your passport. In addition, our staff will help guide you through the visa process if needed.

Once accepted to the course, you will need to work on acquiring your visa and passport immediately. Please note that depending on your country, the time required to get an appointment at the US consulate and to order a passport issued by your home country might take weeks. It is important not to procrastinate! In the past, people with funding who have been accepted conditionally to the seminar could not attend because they did not complete their visa and passport paperwork on time. For more information on visas, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of this website.

CLOTHES, EQUIPMENT, and LUGGAGE:

The tourism seminar requires that all participants have basic field gear for our site visits to ensure that the field trips are safe and enjoyable. While we will not be making visits to the backcountry, we will be going to field sites where good rain gear, warm sweaters, a jacket, hiking boots, hats, gloves, sunglasses, sunblock, flash light, and other basic field equipment will enable a safe and comfortable visit. Given the timing of the seminar, we will likely to experience both warm and cold weather. It is possible we will encounter some rain and perhaps even some snow at high altitudes. Having said that, late summer and early autumn weather in the western U.S. is usually quite enjoyable. We must stress the importance of having appropriate field equipment to be comfortable and safe in these different climates, especially when camping overnight. Dressing in layers is recommended as the weather can change quickly. Dress in the Western U.S. in general is informal. Men will not need ties or jackets. We do recommend that everyone bring one nice set of clothing for the closing ceremony and one or two dinners in more formal settings. This can be typical clothing if you commonly wear it in your country at similar events.

For more information on visas, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of this website.

PRE-SEMINAR WEBINAR:

Before the seminar begins, the Center for Protected Area Management holds a Pre-Course Webinar online. The Pre-Course Webinar is designed to provide participants with an overview of the course and important logistical information before they arrive to Colorado. In addition, the webinar gives participants an opportunity to ask questions to the center’s staff in real-time, helping them better prepare for their time overseas. Information about the pre-seminar webinar will be provided as soon as it becomes available.