Change Text Size: Normal / Large / Larger

Tourism and Travel - Adventure and Ecotourism
2-year, Ontario College Diploma Program

Home > Programs > Hospitality > Tourism and Travel - Adventure and Ecotourism

New Calendar Information for 2010/2011 academic year

Description

Love to travel and get paid for doing it?  The travel industry is anything but conservative and stagnant.  Despite  issues affecting International travel around the globe, there continues to be a demand for qualified specialists at all levels. The Tourism and Travel-Adventure and Ecotourism Diploma is a distinctive hybrid travel and tourism program where students directly explore the travel trade and the outdoor tourism industry, as well as cultural and environmental sensitivities within Ontario and globally.

 The students will become proficient using a Global Distribution System, which contains airline schedules, fares and other pertinent information for the tourist travelling abroad. Students will learn about different cultures and destinations around the world through the language of geography. Emphasis is placed on the business side of tourism, tour operations, travel industry technology and selling techniques. The students will be required to obtain Industry Certifications, choosing from a variety of Outdoor Pursuit programs, CITC destination specialist certifications, or Online Flight Attendant training.

 A key component of the program is the opportunity for students to experience and acquire ecotourism and outdoor adventure skills.  Students will begin the program with an orientation canoe trip with their fellow classmates and faculty, through the pristine waters of Northwestern Ontario. As an outdoor classroom, students will discover that Northwestern Ontario is a renowned four-season destination which provides a ready-made environment for practical learning.

 Students will also gain valuable experience and contacts by working in the tourism industry, part of a 16-week mandatory cooperative education program. During the fourth semester, students will experience another culture by participating on the International Field Trip.  This ‘Familiarization Trip’ (as it is known in the industry) is a training device in which students will tour and visit major tourist attractions, resorts and other facilities to acquire tangible knowledge about a product or destination for future use as a sales tool.

  The Tourism Employer's Wish List:

• Have to be outgoing - enjoy talking to people 
•  Be a team player - work well with others
• Need to have the desire to learn
• Should have a theoretical background - need to understand how things work
• Critical to be a fast learner -  after a crash course, you're off into the real world
• Need to perform well under pressure
• Requires good business and communication skills
• Needs strong customer service focus - be interested in people willing to help
•  A strong interest in geography and culture
• Industry's biggest requirement - great attitude!

A job for today," as they say in the industry, and "a career for tomorrow."
 

Employment Opportunities

Tourism jobs offer advancement, transferable skills valued throughout the industry, and ongoing training.

Graduates have obtained employment ranging  from front line  to managerial positions, by airlines, travel agencies, hotels, and resorts, cruise lines, national railway companies, government tourist offices, tour operators, heritage and interpretive centres, tourist outfitters, local and regional tourism associations, and major tourist attractions.
 

Admission Requirements

 Articulation Agreements

Graduates from this program are eligible to access articulation agreements with the following universities:

University of Lethbridge – Alberta

For more information on articulation agreements refer to our college website at www.confederationc.on.ca/articulation.