A Golden College of the Rockies graduate is living out his dream in South America. Greg Snell, a graduate of the Adventure Tourism business Operations (ATBO) Program is currently based in Buenos Aires, Argentina although he does not stay there long.
Snell has landed a job as a South American Tour Leader / CEO for the Canadian company Gap Adventures.
“I tour groups throughout Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil,” says Snell, “I manage the expectations of the travelers and also manage the logistics of the travel itineraries. My job can be a lot of fun.”
Traveling around South America and experiencing things many of us could only dream of is all part of a day’s work for Snell, who says he owes the ATBO Program a lot of credit.
“The ATBO Program is full of opportunity and can prepare one for many different career paths in tourism. It is comprised of outdoor adventure skills, training activities and in-class courses focusing on sustainable tourism practices. I had the opportunity to take a leadership role and work on my group management skills.”
Snell, originally from Toronto, Ontario says he grew up in Oshowa and decided to move to Golden at the age of 18 and two years later decided to join the ATBO Program.
“I had been living in Golden since October 2004, always knowing I would attend post secondary somewhere, why not in a town I had grown to love? COTR was in my backyard.”
Snell says that the ATBO Program assisted him greatly with his current role but being bilingual is also very important.
“I believe being bilingual is a major asset no matter what the language may be. Local cultures love it when you can converse with them in their native tongue. This helps break down certain cultural stereotypes and often allows one to become more in touch with the people and places they visit. Languages are a basis of a culture and should be respected.”
Although he says he would love to come back to Golden one day where he spent “a better part of four years,” Snell will be staying in his current position in South America until March 2012 and has plans of exploring Continental Africa as well as taking part in a Tour d’Afrique which is a three month pedal bike trip from Cairo to Cape Town.
“The COTR Golden Campus staff are amazing people and I have a lot of respect for them. They have been successfully providing students and graduates with skills necessary to obtain a fun and interesting career within the tourism industry whether in Canada or abroad.”
The Adventure Tourism Business Operations Program has grown very popular in Golden and is currently waitlisted. For more information on the program, call 250-344-5901.
