Tourism Management Program by Semester

Centennial College offers a range of Tourism management programs. One undertaking is training students for the culture and heritage tourism field, which, according to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is increasing by an unprecedented 15 percent per year. The offering is aptly called Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism and takes two years to complete.

Here is a look at this Tourism Management program through its four semesters:

Semester One: The first semester Tourism Management courses set the pace for the rest of the offering by throwing students right into vital topics. A solid foundation is offered by Introduction to Cultural & Heritage Tourism and World Geography For Tourism. But more specific topics such as Ontario Cultural & Heritage Tourism Product, Introduction to Hospitality Accounting and Dimensions of Tourism round out the first semester Tourism Management courses. It is worth noting that all topics in this offering employ a combination of theory and practice. The practical application aspect includes the use of modern computer labs and other Progress Campus facilities such as a fully functioning conference centre.

Semester Two: Moving into more specific Tourism Management courses, semester two focuses on management aspects such as marketing, human resources and career planning, managing cultural and heritage facilities, responsible tourism and more. A standout course of semester two of the Tourism Management program is Managing Cultural and Heritage Facilities. Through research, class discussions and projects, lectures from faculty and visiting professionals, and site visits to local organizations, students use their knowledge to identify best practices in managing arts, cultural and heritage facilities. They also deconstruct a local heritage organization using its real life practices and challenges. In this living case study, information is compiled from classroom activities and research then analyzed to assist the site in addressing future programs and capital growth leading to increased attendance from new and diverse audiences. This in return, generates new revenue to promote financial stability.

Semester Three: This third semester of Tourism Management courses focuses strictly on management topics and forgoes all electives or liberal studies. Specific topics covered in this semester include: Cross-Cultural Behavior in Tourism, Tour Planning and Management, Customer Relationship Management, Meetings and Incentive Travel Management, Principles of Hospitality Management and Festival Management.

Semester Four: To wrap up everything students have learned in their Tourism Management courses, they spend the last semester of their studies off-campus in a field placement. This is an opportunity for students to take all the theory and practice they received on-campus and apply it to the real world. It also allows them to have an advantage over those who attended similar programs at other colleges that didn’t offer a field placement.

After completing Tourism management courses, Centennial College grads work at museums, art galleries, historic theme parks, heritage sites and arts festivals. Their roles as managers involve a combination of promoting tourism products and services, promoting sustainable tourism, offering travelers accurate product knowledge and destination information, developing strategies to establish working relationships with clients and suppliers to maintain and strengthen their loyalty to the organization, applying accounting and financial knowledge and skills, including cost control techniques, to the operation of a tourism organization; and more.