Registration Now Open for Laramie’s Certified Destination Expert Program

The Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative at the University of Wyoming and Visit Laramie (the Albany County Tourism Board) have announced that registration is open for the Laramie Certified Destination Expert (CDX) program.

The program, available on UW’s WyoLearn platform, is designed to help front-line staff members -- who interface with visitors in the greater Laramie community -- build and share their knowledge about all that is offered. The course includes information on hospitality and customer service essentials; outdoor recreation; sports and education; art and cultural attractions; history and Western life; special events; food and beverage options; and lodging.

Designed with input from the experts at Visit Laramie, the course is online, self-paced and offers access to resources that help participants learn best practices for the ultimate visitor experience. It takes the average person roughly 4-6 hours to complete. Registrants do not need to be UW students, and there are no prerequisites. The course concludes with a certificate of completion and a visit to the Laramie Area Visitor Center for some free merchandise.

Registration for the course costs $15 per participant. Businesses can buy bulk registrations for their employees. For more information and to register, go to www.uwyo.edu/worth/cdx.html.

Visit Cheyenne and Visit Casper both have similar programs, but this is the first program developed by UW for the Laramie area and Albany County market.

“We were excited to partner with the WORTH Initiative to develop this course for our local businesses with visitor-facing employees,” says Scott Larson, executive director of Visit Laramie. “The development of this course was one of our goals that came from the Laramie Tourism Coalition to provide a better visitor experience by offering educational opportunities for front-line hospitality workers.”

“With growing tourism throughout the state of Wyoming, it is crucial for businesses and front-line employees to offer the best possible visitor experience,” says Dan McCoy, interim director of the WORTH Initiative. “The Laramie CDX program is designed to stimulate community investment in Laramie’s tourism market by improving knowledge of local attractions.”

The Albany County Tourism Board provides for the promotion of tourism in Albany County and administers the expenditure and distribution of the lodging tax revenue.

The WORTH Initiative supports outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality through applied research, educational products and services, and extension.