Tourism Administration Reflects Canada’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Are you interested in hospitality administration, including hotel operations and event planning? Have you completed an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older); and English Grade 12 C or U or equivalent, or skills assessment? If you answered ‘yes’ to both of these questions, you may want to apply in the Hospitality and Tourism Administration program at Centennial College, which takes three years to complete and results in an Ontario College Advanced Diploma. Now is a great time to complete this training as the tourism industry boasts revenue in excess of $61.4-billion from 60,000 different companies that employ over 1.66-million Canadians coast-to-coast.

This program is respected in the industry as evidenced by Mary Sardella, Director of Human Resources for the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, who had this to say: “Centennial’s applied program prepares students for the real working world. We look forward to continue fostering our relationship with the hospitality school and the students.” But just what makes this hospitality administration and tourism administration-focused offering stand out?

First and foremost, it is designed for those planning to build their futures in the tourism industry with courses that cover a full range of business practices in marketing, human resources, finance and industry operations — as applied to the entire hospitality and tourism field. Secondly, it offers practical practice by way of a full service hospitality management centre, an onsite conference centre and state-of-the-art computer labs. These facilities allow students to deal with real life experiences and prepare for their final semester. During this time, students also gain valuable experience in a four-day-per-week, 15-week field placement. This individualized industry internship is meant to provide a practical foundation for their career.

Specific courses within the tourism administration undertaking include: World Geography for Tourism (explores the ever-changing dynamics of atmosphere, climate, weather, earth structures and plate tectonics, how humans have adapted to a challenging physical world through their individual/collective ingenuity and application of technology, culture, religion, agriculture, architecture, industry and leisure, culminating in our current configuration of rural and urban environments); Front Office Operations (examines the various elements of effective front office management, paying close attention to planning, forecasting and evaluating front office procedures); Meeting and Convention Management (examines the history and development of the meetings and convention industry, giving students the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to participate in the planning of conventions and meetings of any size and scope); and more.

Upon completion of their hospitality administration and tourism administration training, graduates may be eligible to participate in an articulated program with selected universities, institutes and professional associations. These partnerships allow graduates to apply academic credit towards further study. The hospitality administration’s partners are: Athabasca University, International Hotel Management Institute (Switzerland), Ryerson University, Southern New Hampshire University (U.S.A.), University of Calgary, University of New Brunswick and more. Should they, however, choose to enter the field, graduates can apply for jobs in hotel and restaurant general management, human resources management, sales and marketing management, convention services coordination and tour coordination. Organizations hiring program graduates include: Delta Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group and more.