REPULSE BAY - Five community members in Repulse Bay have graduated from a program that will bring the hamlet one step closer to being able to compete for tourist dollars on the world stage, according to course developer Wes Werbowy of Wilderness Consultants.

Werbowy said Nunavut needs to be able to vie with more exotic locations to attract tourists because of the expense of travelling to the territory.

"The reality is that from the centre of the United States to Nunavut or to 1, South Africa, the airfare is the same," Werbowy said. "So if someone is going to pay the dollars, our product has to be on that world stage."

Werbowy instructed the students during the Level 1 Guide Training course that took place from June 22 to July 10. He said the traditional lifestyle of many Inuit serves as a foundation when it comes to learning guiding, but the course is designed to teach skills needed when taking tourists out on the land.

"That background teaches you how to look after yourself, but tourism is how to look after a total stranger from another culture who thinks he knows what he's doing," he said. "It's a tricky balance."

Werbowy said there were eight students enrolled when the course began, but three received conditional passes and will have to complete remedial courses in order to fully graduate.

"Originally, eight students enrolled and five students fully graduated," he said. "Two of the remainder received conditional passes which indicated that they were not fully ready to guide tourists at this point, but that some remedial work in the future would get them to the desired level of expertise."

Werbowy said the Level 1 course is an introduction to guiding.

"Level one is the square one understanding of the workings of tourism and the responsibilities of a guide," he said.

Students spent five days on the land after completing the two-week classroom component of the course. They learned subjects relating to tourism such customer service and hospitality and camp hygiene. Students also learned about plant identification, cooking and photography. Student Tommy Mablik said he learned how to make clients comfortable during a guiding expedition.

"I used to think that guiding was just about knowing the land and that I could just do things in my usual way, but it is not like that," said Mablik. "Now, I've learned that I have to make an outhouse, and learn to cook, and make my client feel like he is at home."

Mayor Donat Milortok said the course was funded by the hamlet and the department of economic development and tourism. He said the participants all enjoyed the course.

"I heard it was really good," he said. "They were really happy when they got to go out."

The mayor said he heard the most about the photography skills participants learned.

"They took pictures out at the river and how to take pictures of flowers and caribou," he said. "They have to take pictures and see how they're (caribou) are going to look in pictures."

Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Level 2 course, which focuses on big game hunting and ecotourism.

Werbowy said Nunavut is an ideal location for ecotourism because of the natural beauty of the land and the abundance of wildlife and historical sites.

"There are great opportunities for wildlife viewing, for historical sites for photography and for plant identification," he said.

He said hunters make ideal ecotourism guides because of their knowledge of animals. He also said the market doesn't just include tourists; photographers could use the guides during photography expeditions.

"The hunting skills are perfect for an ecotourism guide because of the understanding of what the animal is going to do so who better to bring a photographer there?"

Werbowy said the Level 2 Big Game Guiding course will take place in the community next year.