Tourism – Travel Services

The two-year Tourism – Travel Services Ontario College Diploma program gives you the experience and specialized skills you need for an exciting career in the diverse tourism and travel industry sectors.

In this program, you receive current travel industry knowledge from Algonquin College faculty, who have a strong background in all of the industry sectors. You’ll learn the practical application of industry software used in the airline and travel services industry, world tourism geography, marketing and customer service excellence. You will volunteer at industry events, network with industry professionals, and travel locally as well as internationally to Costa Rica where you can earn a course credit. Finally, you’ll learn about current industry trends like sustainable tourism, niche and group travel and customized vacation planning.

Students will expand their real-world experience during a two-week field placement in the tourism and travel sector of their choice.

Before graduation, you write the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) exam. This exam is required to meet the mandatory licensing requirement for work in licensed retail or wholesale travel service operations in Ontario.

Graduates can take their career in many directions. You may find employment as a: retail travel counsellor, tour operator counsellor, flight attendant, government tourism representative, airport customer service agent, destination representative and travel service representative (motor coach, rail, auto, cruise lines or attractions).

What You’ll Learn

• Support an industry and workplace service culture, by adopting a positive attitude and professional decorum, accommodating diverse and special needs, and contributing as a team member.
• Deliver customer service and solutions that anticipate, meet and/or exceed individual expectations, as well as organizational expectations, standards and objectives.
• Use marketing concepts, market research, social networks, sales strategies, relationship management skills and product knowledge to promote and sell tourism products, services and customer experiences.
• Apply business principles as well as basic accounting, budgeting, financial and administration skills to support the effective management and operation of a variety of organizations delivering tourism products and services.
• Comply with relevant organization and workplace systems, processes, policies, standards, legal obligations and regulations, and apply risk management principles, to support and maintain efficient, safe, secure, accessible and healthy tourism operations.
• Use appropriate technologies to enhance the quality and delivery of tourism products, services and customer experiences, to measure the effectiveness of tourism operations and to participate in tourism development.
• Keep current with tourism trends and issues, and interdependent relationships in the broader tourism industry sectors to improve work performance and guide career development.
• Use leadership, teamwork, conflict and relationship management skills and tools, as well as knowledge of organizational behaviour, employment standards and human rights to contribute to a positive work environment.
• Respond to issues and dilemmas arising in the delivery of tourism products, services and customer experiences, by using and promoting ethical behaviour and best practices of corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.