Program Description Tourism employs 1 in 10 people in the world, generates 10% of global GDP and is one of the fastest growing global industries. Many destinations experienced their best Tourism year ever in 2017, including Toronto, where visitors spent $8.8 billion in the local economy.
Food and Beverage is the largest area of Tourism employment, accounts for 1/3 of visitor spending and one of the fastest growing segments of the Tourism industry. Culinary experiences are increasingly a major driver of local, regional and international travel.
This innovative graduate certificate is for recent graduates and working professionals in and around food, culinary, tourism and events industries. Learn the exciting links between tourism marketing, development and experiences with gastronomy, wine, culture, food traditions and communities. It prepares students to develop successful food tourism enterprises and gain employment in existing food and culinary tourism agencies and companies, all while advocating for social justice, equity and access in communities worldwide.
Students will learn about the exciting links between experience, gastronomy, wine, culture, food traditions and communities.
Graduates from this program will be prepared to pursue employment in tourism agencies, local and international tourism attractions, culinary establishments, government agencies, historical tourism sites, food writing and culinary experiential travel groups.
The entrepreneurial skills taught in the program will also permit graduates to pursue self-employment and/or consultancy work establishing local food movements such as farmer's markets, community food hubs and destinations attracting food tourism.
It’s Your Shift Training and Awareness Program:
The program includes an innovative industry training and awareness certification – It’s Your Shift. The certification equips students with the crucial knowledge and provides current resources focused on sexual harassment prevention and safe practices for intervention as frontline workers or managers. It will support graduates as they enter the hospitality industry to become leaders for the prevention of sexual harassment and contribute to the evolution of safe and welcoming work environments.
