George Brown College and the Culinary Tourism Alliance sign agreement to strengthen and develop the tourism sector
TORONTO (October 27, 2021) – George Brown College and the Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA) are pleased to announce the signing of a landmark memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate in growing and increasing leadership in the culinary tourism sector. Leveraging the strengths of each organization, the strategic partnership will produce tangible benefits for the tourism industry across the country.
The announcement comes amidst the on-going recovery of Canada’s culinary and hospitality sector as hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions reimagine their operations for the evolving post-pandemic future.
Under the terms of the partnership, George Brown and CTA will work together in the development of initiatives to ensure food tourism remains a meaningful and sustainable contributor to local economies in destinations worldwide. The wide-ranging agreement establishes opportunities for continuing education, industry research, industry conferences, curriculum input, as well as the creation of an on-campus industry hub and a national tourism consortium entitled the Canadian Centre for Culinary Tourism Excellence.
“We are excited about the potential to advance tourism industry transformation. This agreement opens doors to exciting possibilities of new collaboration and is a great opportunity for our two institutions to learn from each other, contribute to thought leadership and create opportunities to better support our students and the tourism sector,” says Lorraine Trotter, Dean, Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, George Brown College.
While curriculum development has already begun, the partnership is still in the early stages, and both organizations will share exciting developments as they emerge.
“This partnership will lay the foundation for an inclusive nationwide culinary tourism initiative and provide resources to industry, educators, and tourism organizations alike. We’re proud to partner with the thought-leaders at Center for Hospitality & Culinary Arts at George Brown College and look forward to growing culinary and agritourism with them" says Rebecca Mackenzie, President & CEO of the Culinary Tourism Alliance.
The agreement comes as George Brown launches a new Food Tourism Entrepreneurship program, a one-year graduate certificate that prepares learners to create “taste of place” experiences based on the foodways and terroir of a given region.
ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR HOSPITALITY AND CULINARY ARTS AT GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE
Since its establishment in 1967, the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (CHCA) has become one of the leading culinary, hospitality and beverage schools in Canada. Graduating over 1,500 students and educating over 9,000 students every year, CHCA continues to be applicants’ first choice for culinary and hospitality programs. With an impressive body of over 21,000 alumni, the CHCA is dedicated to producing passionate, service-obsessed professionals for the evolving hospitality, culinary and beverage industry.
ABOUT THE CULINARY TOURISM ALLIANCE
The Culinary Tourism Alliance is a not-for-profit that works with communities to grow food tourism by leveraging the history, heritage, and culture behind the food and drink that makes each destination unique. By bridging the gap between the food & drink and travel industries, our vision is to ensure food tourism is a meaningful and sustainable contributor to local economies in destinations worldwide. For more information, visit culinarytourismalliance.com
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For more information, please contact:
Joy Callender
Senior Manager, External Communications
George Brown College
Jcallender3@georgebrown.ca
647-988-0306
Agatha Podgorski
Director, Marketing
Culinary Tourism Alliance
agatha@culinarytourismalliance.com
647-866-7386