Building a Career in Cultural and Heritage Tourism Management

Cultural and heritage tourism involves travelling to explore and experience the cultural, historic, traditional and natural attractions of places that authentically represent the stories of people of past. The art, architecture, religion and culture have always been a subject of exploration. The traditions have been passed from one generation to another, and sometimes transmitted from one nation to another.

Art and culture has been appealing people for centuries. However, large-scale development of theme parks and other similar sources of entertainment in last few decades had resulted in slowdown of cultural and heritage tourism. But in recent years, it has been rediscovered as an interesting way to experience destinations offering distinct and authentic sense.

Cultural and heritage tourism not only allows travellers to explore the legacy of a place but it’s also important for several reasons. It:

• Has a significant impact on the economy of a city or country
• Establishes harmony among people belonging to different backgrounds, regions and religions
• Is an instrument for authentic visitor experiences
• Has a positive social impact
• Supports conservation of heritage resources

Building Careers in Heritage and Cultural Tourism

As mentioned earlier, cultural and heritage tourism has been rediscovered in recent years. There is an increasing population of special interest travellers who look for educational, authentic, historic and more engaging travelling experience. This has resulted into a significant demand for professionals who can guide them and organize tours for them.

However, in order to build careers in this field, you will need to undergo a tourism management program and gain necessary knowledge, skills and attitude. Centennial College’s two-year post-secondary provides you with an interdisciplinary learning approach by integrating the challenges as well as operative requisites commanded by the tourism industry.

Program Structure

The program offers an in-depth understanding of tourism fundamentals and hands-on experience through industry field placement. You will study a wide range of subjects, including cultural and heritage tourism, Ontario cultural and heritage tourism product, world geography for tourism, hospitality accounting, dimensions of tourism, responsible tourism, managing cultural and heritage facilities, cultural and heritage tourism principles and practices, hospitality and tourism marketing, cross-cultural behaviour in tourism, tour planning and management, customer relationship management, meetings and incentive travel management, principles of hospitality management and festival management.

Program learning

A tourism management course in culture and heritage prepares you to:

• Promote sustainable tourism
• Contribute to daily operations of a tourism organization
• Promote and market tourism products, services and experiences consistent with a marketing plan
• Appropriately access, document and distribute detailed product knowledge and destination information
• Control operational costs of a tourism organization
• Effectively deal with customers while ensuring highest satisfaction
• Develop ongoing relationships with clients

After Graduation

once you graduate from the program, you may find employment with major hotel chains, tour and travel agencies, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, museums, municipal government, heritage parks, historic establishments, resorts and festival and events organizations.

You may also apply your academic credits towards higher studies and enroll in a degree program at the university. This will prepare you for more advanced career opportunities in this sector.

Cultural and Heritage Tourism Offers Field Experience Prior to Graduation

Any student who has the opportunity to experience the field for which he or she is studying prior to graduation from his or her program will tell you how beneficial such an aspect is. Firstly, it allows students to network with professionals whom may not only be their peers after graduation but may be able to either hire them or introduce them to a potential employer. Secondly, students have an opportunity to apply what they have learned during the course of their studies to real world settings that allow them to get an idea of what they can expect in the field. Lastly, a field placement enhances a students’ resume by giving him or her advantage over someone who may have not had a similar opportunity.

One Centennial College offering that includes a field placement is also one of the most respected Tourism management programs in Toronto. The Tourism Management  Cultural and Heritage Tourism offering takes two years to complete and sees students head out into the workforce to complete a field placement during the final semester. Students spend the entire semester in the field and have the opportunity to process and analyze the practical experiences gained on their field placement in a forum safe for the sharing of these experiences with their classmates in the Field Placement Review course.

Discussions and interactions allow students insight into different sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry, different companies within these sectors, and the make up and operations of these companies.

Meanwhile, the on-campus studies focus on teaching students everything they need to know about the field as well as the challenges facing culture and heritage sector managers. This convergent methodology mirrors the junction of culture, heritage and tourism. Specific topics include: Ontario culture and heritage tourism production, dimensions of tourism, hospitality accounting, cultural and heritage tourism principles and practices, hospitality and tourism marketing, managing cultural and heritage facilities, festival management, customer relationship management and more.

Once they complete all of their Tourism Management Courses, students have the knowledge to:

• Guarantee customer satisfaction while promoting tourism products, services and experiences;
  
• Use a marketing plan to sell tourism products, services and experiences;
  
• By employing knowledge of an array of tourism industries and their interactions, promote sustainable tourism;
  
• Contribute to the effective daily operations of a tourism organization through individual and team efforts;
  
• Seek through research, document and appropriately distribute accurately detailed product knowledge and destination information;
  
• Create strategies to establish working relationships with clients and suppliers in order to maintain and strengthen their loyalty to the organization;
  
• Apply accounting and financial knowledge and skills, including cost control techniques, to the operation of a tourism organization;
  
• Address the cultural and heritage sector’s role in the Canadian tourism industry and the impact of factors such as economic variables, government policies and social dynamics on the cultural and heritage infrastructure

Cultural and Heritage Tourism Places You In Growing Industry

Students of Centennial College’s Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism program have two distinct post-graduate options. Firstly, they are prepared to work in this growing segment of the tourism industry that represents a significant trend sweeping through the tourism market and caters to special interest travellers, who rank culture and/or heritage among the top five reasons for travelling. In fact, according to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), cultural and heritage tourism is increasing by an unprecedented 15 percent per year. As such, students are prepared to work with: Festival and Events Ontario, Heritage Toronto, Ministry of Tourism and Culture (Ontario), Parks Canada, municipal governments, museums, major hotel chains and more.

Additionally, those who successfully complete all of this program’s Tourism Management Courses, may take advantage of Centennial College’s educational partnerships. Qualified graduates may be eligible to participate in articulated programs with selected post-secondary institutions that allow them to apply academic credit towards further study. The program’s partners include: Athabasca University, International Hotel Management Institute (Switzerland), Vancouver Island University, University of New Brunswick and Royal Roads University (B.C.).

The curriculum in this offering is accredited by UNWTO TedQual. It not only teaches students about travel experiences that feature indigenous cultures and heritage at destinations and the culture and heritage-motivated traveller who wants to experience a distinct and authentic sense of place while connecting with the endemic tapestry of human endeavour but also about the challenges facing culture and heritage sector managers with the operative requisites commanded by the tourism industry. This methodology mirrors the convergence of culture, heritage and tourism. Among specific courses are: Responsible Tourism, Managing Cultural and Heritage Facilities, Cross-Cultural Behaviour in Tourism, Tour Planning and Management, Festival Management and more.

In addition, because this one of the Tourism Management Programs that prides itself on offering students extensive practical experience, it includes a field placement during the final semester. This course provides significant work experience in approved jobs within the industry, enabling learners to relate classroom theory to the practical world, while adding another career educational dimension to their career readiness. Field placement enables students to better understand the dynamics of the industry, increase their knowledge of industry practices and provides a competitive advantage of experience in the job market. Once students complete their placement, they attend a Field Placement Review course that enables them to process and analyze the practical experiences gained on their field placement while providing a forum for the sharing of these experiences with their classmates. Discussions and interactions allow students insight into different sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry, different companies within these sectors, and the make up and operations of these companies.

Cultural and Heritage Tourism Management Courses in Canada

Cultural and heritage tourism is an evolving industry and extends to experiencing local cultures and heritage at destinations, understanding the distinctive and authentic sense of the places while connecting with the common threads and arras of human endeavour. Travellers nowadays are looking forward to a more engaging and authentic travel experience that combines leisure and recreation with learning through cultural exploration.

This has given rise to the demand for tourism management professionals who can organize tours and vacations for these travellers, ensuring a unique, aboriginal and distinct experience each time. Employers are keen on hiring professionals who can help them navigate smoothly through this emergent transformation and serve their customers in the best possible manner.

Not only this, they expect cultural and heritage tourism professional to be capable of performing all routine business activities, including promotion of tourism products, services and experiences, handling daily operations effectively, developing plans and strategies to enhance tourism, distributing accurate product knowledge and destination information, applying const control techniques and accounting and financial knowledge and building sustainable relationships with the clients.

Studying Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism

As the cultural and heritage tourism is emerging constantly, the job opportunities are ample. Despite this, there is no respite from competition. It’s getting fiercer day by day. Those individuals who are interested in building a career in this field not only need to possess the above mentioned competencies, but are also expected to have specialized knowledge of cultural and heritage tourism market.

Specialized tourism management programs in cultural and heritage tourism can help them prepare for rewarding careers in this emerging sector. These post-secondary programs generally run for two years through four semesters, combining classroom lectures and cultural and heritage tourism field placement. They make the right choice for everyone who wants to get into this sector within or outside Canada.

Program Content

The two-year post-secondary tourism management courses in cultural and heritage tourism cover a wide range of subjects including Cultural and Heritage Tourism Products, World Geography for Tourism, Dimensions of Tourism, Hospitality Accounting, Cultural and Heritage Principles and Practices, Responsible Tourism, Hospitality and Tourism Marketing, Human Resources and Career Planning, and Managing Cultural and Heritage Facilities during the first year.

The third semesters covers Cross-Cultural Behaviour in Tourism, Tour Planning and Management, Customer Relationship Management, Meetings and Incentive Travel Management, Principles of Hospitality Management and Festival Management. The fourth semester includes an industry field placement, which helps students put their learning into practice and gain relevant industry contacts that can be used as references in future.

Studying Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Canada

Centennial College Toronto offers a two-year course in cultural and heritage tourism and equips students to contribute to this emergent tourism sector. The program is accredited by UNWTO TedQual. It prepares students for employment with museums, major hotel chains, municipal governments, Ministry of Tourism and Culture and private tour operators.

Interested individuals can apply for this program by sending their applications to the college along with a copy of secondary school diploma certificate and scores in English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent.

Cultural and Heritage Tourism Management Programs in Canada

Cultural and heritage tourism is an emerging industry in Canada as well as across the globe. Modern travelers prefer to explore destinations that provide them a combination of learning and leisure. They want to experience distinct and authentic sense of places they visit.

Canada has a vast collection of cultural and historic places. However, the tourism industry is facing an acute shortage of professionals who have a thorough understanding of cultural and heritage sites in the country and can serve the growing segment of travel consumers expecting a more engaging genre of travel experiences featuring indigenous cultures and heritage.

Employers are keen on hiring professionals are able to contribute to this evolving transformation and ensure a high degree of customer satisfaction. Not only this, they also expect them to have hands-n experience in promoting and marketing tourism products, services and experiences,  managing daily operations of a tourism organization, distributing accurate and detailed product knowledge and destination information to clients and applying accounting and financial knowledge and skills to the operations of a tourism organization.

Tourism Management Programs in Canada

In order to meet industry demand for travel and tourism professionals possessing in-depth knowledge in cultural and heritage tourism management, many Canadian colleges have introduced specialized programs in this field. Unfortunately, not all tourism management programs are affiliated.

Centennial College’s cultural and heritage management courses are accredited by UNWTO TedQual. The graduates of this program are prepared for rewarding careers in this growing segment of tourism industry whether they envision a career in Ontario’s tourism sector or with world-view potential.

The program provides students with an interdisciplinary learning approach and integrates the challenges in cultural and heritage tourism sector with operative essentials of the industry. The two-year course combines classroom learning and a cultural and heritage tourism field placement, helping students build strong theoretical foundation and gain hands-on experience.

During classroom lectures, the students are not only introduced to cultural and heritage tourism but they are also taught to apply cultural and heritage tourism principles and practices to contribute to this emergent transformation. They acquire knowledge in cultural tour planning, cultural and heritage facilities management, festival management and tourism marketing.

The placement component offers them an opportunity to work in a real-life setting, which helps them gain special skills and knowledge associated with this trade. Besides, it also gives them opportunity to establish professional networks that can help them seek employment upon course completion.

Career Options

As mentioned earlier, the career prospects in this field are bright. And in the coming years, they are expected to increase further. The graduates of this program van find employment with festival and event management companies, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, municipal governments, museums, major hotel chains and tourism organizations. They may also choose to study further and apply their credits towards a more advanced course in tourism management at the university.

Admission Requirements

In order to apply for post-secondary tourism management courses, the students need:

• Secondary school diploma or equivalent
• English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent

Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism

Today, travelers are moving beyond visiting destinations strictly for relaxation with many seeking cultural experiences. As such, Centennial College’s Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism program trains students for positions as culture and heritage sector managers.

This is achieved through two years of training that includes a measured application of fundamentals and training culminating in industry experience opportunities. The industry experiences take up the entire last semester of the program but aren’t the only hands-on aspects. Many of the courses feature practical components such as projects and case studies.

Among the specific Tourism Management Courses offered within this program are:

Introduction to Cultural and Heritage Tourism: This aspect of international tourism is expanding so rapidly that it is now recognized as a high profile mass market. Students are introduced to what the ITB Berlin — the largest tourism trade show in the word — has, since 2002, featured in its an increasingly popular Hall of Cultural Tourism, a unique area of exhibitors such as museums, theaters and “art cities” designed to showcase the colorful spectrum of heritage and cultural tourism opportunities.

Cultural & Heritage Tourism Principles & Practices: Urban regeneration and development, protection of heritage areas, site integrity and resource interpretation, identifying and planning for indigenous/ aboriginal tourism and preserving and promoting multicultural diversity — all critical to the development and implementation of cultural tourism policies and practices — are covered in this course. Students look at case studies and have the opportunity to work closely with local communities and conduct on-site research.

Cross-Cultural Behaviour in Tourism: Culture is covered from the aspect of having a significant impact on tourism policy, planning, development, management and marketing. Students learn to identify the major differences between Eastern and Western national cultures and their influence on tourist and host social behaviour. An in-depth analysis of five Asian cultures in comparison with European, American and Australian cultures allows students to see how cultural differences influence tourist holiday perceptions and satisfaction.

Tour Planning and Management: Students learn that to increase sales volume, various companies use sales incentives. Rather than an increase in salary or commission, they give sellers travel packages. Creating unique, memorable and more than positive experiences requires excellent costing, planning and management skills as well as imagination and years of experience.

Customer Relationship Management: For maximizing shareholder value through acquiring, enhancing and retaining desired customers, customer Relationship Management (CRM) is used. This course examines the concepts, processes and technologies an organization uses to achieve superior performance through client intelligence. Students are familiarized with CRM software to illustrate several client-facing business processes: lead management and the prospect qualification process; sales process management, campaign management and the execution of post-conversion service. The course emphasizes the methods of accessing intelligence, team collaboration, performance measurement and continuous improvement though analytical feedback.

Graduates of Tourism Management Programs may launch careers with Festival and Events Ontario, Heritage Toronto, Ministry of Tourism and Culture (Ontario), Parks Canada, municipal governments, museums, major hotel chains and more.

Create a cultural spectacle within the tourism industry with this program

Tourism helps Toronto’s economic development thrive, with enhancement of structures and systems, boosting economic activity from tourists and community dwellers alike. With such a diverse city, cultural displays and events engulf a big part of the tourism sector. A city’s culture is always a part of a city’s tourist attraction.

It takes several months and years to plan large scale exhibitions and events that will attract a massive crowd. A good understanding of festival management, managing cultural and heritage facilities, and tourism principles &practices are sought-after traits for professionals working in the Tourism industry. Professionals dealing with cultural pieces and tourism can be found working in museums, arts organizations, heritage buildings, the government, and organizations and events devoted to promoting culture and tourism. They are the Event Coordinators, Marketing Coordinators, Art Directors, Volunteer Coordinators, and other positions that may be involved in managing festivals and events.

Although planning the special event may take year of completion, tourism management programs only take a few semesters to help students join this exciting industry. A four-semester program is offered by Toronto’s very own Centennial College to help interested individuals undertake a role in the tourism sector. The Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism (1809) program is designed to introduce students to the dimensions of tourism, while giving them valuable practical skills, including a hands-on experience, that are south-after by many employers.

“It focuses primarily on the understanding and appreciation of world cultures (and) world heritage as it relates to tourism,” describes Sonia, one of the faculty members and research associates for the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture.

This program provides more than a college diploma, but a potential career in various organizations that curates artifacts, promotes culture, and gives back to the community. Its tourism management courses ranges from classes that teach the management of cultural and heritage sites, to classes designed for practical work through business management courses. Students have different channels in applying the knowledge learned in lecture through group projects, case studies, and research assignments. Furthermore, the knowledge and skills from these classes come together to prepare students for a hands-on training in the tourism industry. This field placement takes place in the last semester, where students gain experience working with professionals, real clients, and current issues affecting their field.

Cultural and Heritage Tourism student, Natalie Buckley, was interviewed and she says that her favourite course thus far is the Cross-Cultural Behaviour in Tourism. It involves a great study of cultures around the globe and how they interact with one another. She is also quite excited to put her knowledge to the test with the field placement: “There is an internship aspect to this program. I’m hoping to get into a performance arts venue, because down the road, I’d like to get real event management.”

Centennial’s Tourism Management – Cultural and Heritage Tourism program is the place to start when you want to be involved in managing events and exhibits in the tourism sector’s cultural hub. Students get the best of both worlds: relevant academic training and field experience. The extent of their knowledge is passed on to the Canadian tourism industry as they implement effective strategies to promote and market tourism products and services.