Food and Beverage is the largest area of tourism employment, accounting for one-third of visitor spending. It's also one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. As culinary experiences increasingly become a major driver of local, regional and international travel, this innovative Food Tourism graduate certificate will benefit recent graduates and working professionals in and around food, culinary, tourism and event industries.

In fact, tourism employs one in 10 people in the world, generates 10 per cent of global gross domestic product and is one of the fastest growing global industries. In 2017, many destinations experienced their best tourism year — including Toronto, where visitors spent $8.8 billion in the local economy.

The program will cover the exciting links between tourism marketing, and development and experiences with gastronomy, wine, culture, food traditions and communities. In doing so, it will prepare students to develop successful food tourism enterprises and gain employment in existing food and culinary tourism agencies and companies, all while advocating for social justice, equity and access in communities worldwide.

When students graduate, they will be prepared to pursue employment in tourism agencies, local and international tourism attractions, culinary establishments, government agencies, historical tourism sites, food writing and with culinary experiential travel groups. The entrepreneurial skills they will acquire in the program will also permit them to pursue self-employment and/or consultancy work, establishing local food movements such as farmer's markets, community food hubs and destinations attracting food tourism.