Free Online Food Tourism Training Program
The Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA), in partnership with OTEC, has created a brand-new, free blended suite of online and instructor-led training program for hospitality businesses to better leverage the power of food tourism in Ontario.
Food tourism is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism and a powerful driver for sustainable economic development in our region and beyond.
Restaurants are an important part of the tourism industry in Ontario. Learn how local sourcing, storytelling and partnership can help grow your business and attract more people to Ontario.
Overview of the Program
A) Five E-learning Modules (2.5 hours)
- What is food tourism and how are you connected?
- What is local food in Ontario? Why is sourcing it valuable?
- How to source and use local food?
- Enriching your storytelling with local food and food ways
- Power of partnerships in local food and tourism
B) Virtual Independent Workshop (2.5 hours)
C) Two to Three Instructor-led Masterclasses
Who is Eligible?
- Front-line staff (servers, cooks, chefs, general managers, tour guides, etc.) at restaurants or businesses with a foodservice operation across Ontario
- Franchise owners, chef-owners, and tourism businesses
- Potential Feast On members (people working at businesses who are not yet leveraging the power of local food.)
- Anyone interested in making an impact in the development of food tourism in Ontario
How to Enroll
Enrolling is simple! Follow these steps:
- Visit www.myelearning.otec.org/
- Register as a new user using the code CTA on the login form
- You’re now registered, complete the course at your own pace!
Upon completion of the Make Local Sourcing Work program you’ll be eligible for the Culinary Tourism Alliance Masterclass. An enrollment link will be provided to you upon completion of the program. All programs are being made available to participants at no charge through government funding for a limited time to support the Tourism & Hospitality sector.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to confidently explain:
- How you and your business fit into the food tourism value chain
- The value and potential behind sourcing local food for (1) the tourism industry in Ontario, (2) the local food system in Ontario, and (3) for your business
- The various elements that make up the local food system, and food tourism ecosystem in Ontario
- How to begin sourcing and using local ingredients, as well as identify where you may have some knowledge gaps and where to go to get additional training or resources
- How you can use local ingredients and your knowledge of local foodways to tell more dynamic taste of place stories to your guests
- How to build strong business partnerships through local food
- How to share your story to a broader audience, to help build our local food identity and grow food tourism in Ontario
Upon completion of the program, students will also receive a shareable LinkedIn badge and a certificate of completion
posted via otec.org
