Imagine having the opportunity — before you even complete your post-secondary Tourism and Travel courses — to work at major events in and around Toronto such as the Walk of Fame, Rendezvous Canada and various trade shows. That’s exactly what will happen if you attend Centennial College’s Tourism and Travel program, which allots students the opportunity to gain hands-on practice by working alongside seasoned professionals at major events while at the same time obtaining proficiency that both Canadian and global employers are seeking.

Applicants to this practical travel and tourism program are required to have completed an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, students should have completed the compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment or equivalent. Please note that possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission into the program.

While spending three semesters in both theoretical and hands-on Tourism and Travel courses, students obtain extensive world destination knowledge, including culture and heritage training, passport and visa requirements, travel security, customer sales and service, and much more. Students also receive Apollo and Sabre computerized airline reservation system training. Specific Tourism and Travel courses within this offering include: Call Centre/ Customer Service, Travel Agency Operation, Domestic and International Tariff and Ticketing, Career Planning and Placement Strategies, Groups and Incentives, three levels of Destinations (Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia, Asia and the Pacific), and more.

All of these topics are part of a curriculum endorsed by the Canadian Institute of Travel Counselors that also includes a three-days-a-week internship. During this on-the-job experience, which is facilitated during the final semester of the offering, students put into practice what they have learned in their courses, pick up employment tips from the professionals with whom they work and get to interact with customers to see what it is like to do so. In addition to the field placement, the travel and tourism program also offers students the opportunity to go on an international trip that provides practical exposure to all aspects of travel.

Additional benefits of attending Tourism and Travel courses at Centennial College include: cruise line training that includes the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) two and a half-day “training fest” conducted by CLIA-trainers, CITC knowledge exam and Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) minimum standards exam, and CITC student membership and annual Students in Travel conference.

Once they complete their Tourism and Travel courses, students obtain jobs in either retail or wholesale travel companies such as: tour operations, retail travel agencies, Internet booking agencies, tourist offices, cruise lines and airlines. Specific companies that have hired Centennial College students include: Kensington Tours, Marlin Travel, Carlson Wagonlit and more.