New initiative led by the Destination Stewardship Council, North Tahoe Chamber, Tahoe Chamber and Truckee Chamber, aims to provide effective ways to engage with visitors and encourage everyone to help take care of Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – A new online training platform created to provide consistent training for community members and local professionals to become champions of Tahoe and Truckee is launching today. The self-paced “Destination Champion” program provides effective strategies for teaching visitors about the region’s unique culture and how to encourage people to help care for and protect what makes Tahoe and Truckee special.

The initiative, which aims to incentivize participants to complete the training by offering gift cards valid for services and experiences offered by local businesses, is being led by the Destination Stewardship Council in collaboration with partners at the North Tahoe Chamber, Tahoe Chamber and Truckee Chamber. 

“Our region’s best advocates have always been those who live and work in our community,” said Nettie Pardue, managing director of the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council. “If we work together to teach visitors about the culture of our mountain towns, they’re more likely to embrace the pace of the Tahoe lifestyle when they’re here, feel more connected to our communities, and want to help take care of them.”

The self-paced online training program takes approximately one hour to complete and includes interactive modules designed to deepen knowledge of the Tahoe and Truckee regions and enhance visitor service skills. Participants can expect to learn tips for engaging with people — including handling challenges and difficult situations — familiarization with the three regions (North Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe and Truckee) and the Washoe people, what sustainable tourism means for the region, and best practices in the outdoors.

The Destination Stewardship Council partnered with Learn Tourism to create the Destination Champion platform. A nonprofit academy that delivers effective and efficient education programs that engage, inspire, and empower stakeholders, Learn Tourism has worked with 60+ destinations to provide similar training platforms with strong results.

Learn more and enroll in the free Destination Champion online training program here.