Travel and Tourism Training Courses in Canada

Tourism involves travelling for leisure, recreational, educational and exploration purposes and refers to domestic as trans-national or cross-border travelling. The idea is to:

• Travel to another location within or outside the country;
• Stay in different places for short durations;
• Explore the landscape, local culture and heritage and food; and
• Indulge in recreational, leisure or adventurous activities.

Tourism and travel is a popular global activity and is a major source of income for many countries and professionals across the world. In Canada also, there has been a significant increase in spending on travel and tourism over the past decade. This means that the industry is generating more revenue than ever.

The increase in the number of tourists and their spending can be directly translated into the increased number of jobs in all sectors of the industry, including food and beverages, accommodation, transportation, culture and heritage, tariff and ticketing, passport and visa, travel security, and customer sales and services. The industry already employs thousands of professionals at various hierarchical levels and is constantly opening doors to a world of opportunities for fresh graduates. This means that the current is the best time to build a rewarding career in the industry.

Travel and Tourism Programs in Canada

There are a number of foundational, diploma and degree programs in travel and tourism in Canada. However, Centennial College’s one-year post-secondary tourism and travel course helps you quickly get to the world of work. The three-semester (or one-year) program prepares you for employment in tour operations with internet booking agencies, travel agencies, tourist offices, airlines and cruise lines. You will receive a two-year diploma in just one year. However, for more advanced career opportunities, it is ideal to enrol in a travel and tourism degree program.

Program Details

The one-year travel and tourism program covers World Geography for Tourism, Destinations 1 – Western Hemisphere, Destinations 2 – Europe and Africa, Destinations 3- Asia and the Pacific, Wholesale Tour Operations, Accommodation and Ground Transportation, Groups and Incentives, Domestic and International tariff and Ticketing,  and Travel Agency Operations. Not only this, you receive practical training in working on Apollo and Sabre computerized airline reservation system.

With this, you also study Sales and Marketing for the Travel Industry, Selling Cruises, Customer Services, Hospitality Accounting and Communications. The program prepares you for both front and back-end jobs. In order to prepare you for the world of work, the program also provides you with an industry field placement in the last semester. Opportunity also exists for an international field trip that provides you with practical exposure to all aspects of travel.

The program is accredited by UNWTO TedQual, which supports program quality. With this, you also receive cruise line training and a Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors (CITC) student membership.

Admission Requirements

In order to apply for this program, you will need to submit:

• Secondary school diploma certificate or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older)
• English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent, or else you will need to take the college’s English skills assessment for admission