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Tourism Skillshop

The Tourism Skillshop webinar series is one of many educational programs from State of Washington Tourism (SWT). The Tourism Skillshop launched in April 2022 and was created to engage with colleagues across the tourism sector and broaden their industry knowledge, skills, and network.

Each webinar highlights a specific issue or skill for tourism professionals to discuss with industry experts. SWT hosts these live webinars on the third or fourth Thursday of every month from 10 – 11 a.m.

These webinars are moderated by SWT’s Matthew Ozuna and are free and open to all tourism stakeholders. All Skillshops are recorded and shared with registrants, as well as made available to view on the SWT YouTube channel.

Upcoming Tourism Skillshops

Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024: Social Inclusion in Destination Communities | Register Here

Social inclusion will be the subject of the next Tourism Skillshop on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. Social inclusion is a framework developed by Destinations International that contextualizes societal issues within the tourism sector. This framework can unlock untapped potential, drive innovation and productivity, and create a more welcoming visitor experience for people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Webinar attendees will learn to rethink inclusion, empathy, and belonging in their destination communities. Sophia Hyder Hock, chief diversity officer at Destinations International, will discuss how a holistic approach to social inclusion is the foundation for understanding systemic barriers to progress, building alliances, and driving sustainable economic growth. Rose Noble, CEO of Visit Spokane, will elaborate on social inclusion efforts in her destination community. This webinar will also preview the upcoming Social Inclusion Summit (Oct. 28-30) in Spokane.

Contact Matthew Ozuna for inquiries about the Tourism Skillshop. Sign up for the Industry Update newsletter and follow SWT on LinkedIn to register for upcoming Skillshops. 

Past Tourism Skillshops

In 2022, SWT hosted eight webinars with a combined 504 registrants. Topics covered everything from familiarization tours to grant writing and website design. The Tourism Skillshop series kicked off with a webinar about familiarization tours. Other topics covered in 2022 were:

Browse All Recordings

An example of a Skillshop can be viewed below.