Canadian Academy of Travel & Tourism
The Canadian Academy of Travel & Tourism (CATT) program offers free educational resources to introduce and promote tourism employment and education opportunities to high school students across Canada.
CATT: The Tourism School Without Walls
Travel and tourism is the world’s fastest-growing sector. It offers a wide variety of education and career opportunities for young people. For nearly 30 years, the Canadian Academy of Travel and Tourism has helped secondary school teachers and students explore these opportunities through a flexible suite of educational resources easily integrated into any high school curriculum.
Benefits for Educators
Integration
Teachers can engage students in the subject of tourism while continuing with their current high school curriculum.
Enrichment
Schools receive access to helpful online and downloadable teaching resources and suggested learning activities.
Partnership
Teachers connect with local tourism representatives to arrange experiential learning opportunities.
CATT Program Overview
The CATT program consists of eight modules and two Tourism Capstone Projects that allow students to develop transferable and essential skills that are invaluable to the tourism sector. Teachers may use the full suite of resources or only those that complement their tourism program goals.
This module reveals the breadth and depth of the tourism industry, and the wide range of career opportunities, providing students with exploratory opportunities to discover tourism.
This module describes the essential core skills and competencies required in tourism, providing students with exercises that reinforce those skills and competencies.
This module describes the essential element of responsible, sustainable tourism, giving the students opportunities to research and reflect on a wide range of sustainable tourism principles and practices.
This module explores how to market and sell tourism destinations, experiences, and services effectively across the accommodation, food and beverage, transportation, recreation and entertainment, and travel services industries.
This Capstone pulls together key learning from — and demonstrates understanding of — the first five modules (Discover Tourism, Tourism Workplace Essentials, Tourism Service Excellence, Sustainable Tourism, and Promoting Tourism Experiences).
This module describes health and safety in a tourism context, with opportunities for students to research, discuss and then understand the importance of health and safety in tourism operations.
This module provides students with exercises, resources, and tools to identify career goals, take stock of interests, values, skills, and experiences, and then create a plan to achieve career goals.
This module reveals the key principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, how they apply in the workplace, and helps students understand their role in promoting inclusion.
This Capstone pulled together key learning from — and demonstrates understanding of — all CATT modules.
Curious as to the types of activities CATT offers?
Preview a Sample Activity
Have a sneak peek at the types of classroom activities included in the CATT curriculum package.
Benefits for Students
With the support and guidance of educators and industry partners, the program provides high school students across the country with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to succeed in the working world and post-secondary endeavours.Â
Students acquire a relevant knowledge base essential in today’s fast-paced and demanding learning environment. Additional experiential learning options, careers presentations, and industry connections allow students to explore what pathway best suits their interests and aptitudes. The added value of industry certificates and real-world practical workplace experience gives CATT students a competitive edge.
The Canadian Academy of Travel & Tourism program can be offered at three levels, each with its own national certificate.
Tourism Foundations Certificate
The Tourism Foundations Certificate is
focused on incorporating the CATT curriculum materials and learning outcomes. Students will:
Complete course work from the CATT program as assigned by CATT educator.
Undertake a minimum 15 hours of tourism volunteer or paid work experience.
Participate in at least one tourism career workshop (coordinated with Tourism HR Canada).
Tourism Essentials Certificate
The Tourism Essentials Certificate is
focused on introducing students to the tourism industry and gaining recognition for completing minimum requirements. Students will:
Complete 5 CATT Modules and 1 Capstone Project.
Undertake a minimum 60 hours of tourism volunteer or paid work experience.
Participate in at least one tourism career workshop (coordinated with Tourism HR Canada).
Obtain at least one tourism-related certificate (i.e., safe food service, customer service).
Tourism Advanced Certificate
The Tourism Advanced Certificate is
the most comprehensive program and is intended for learners who are interested in pursuing post-secondary tourism training or employment. Students will:
Complete 8 Modules and 2 Capstone Projects.
Undertake a minimum 180 hours of tourism volunteer or paid work experience.
Participate in at least one tourism career workshop (coordinated with Tourism HR Canada).
Obtain at least one tourism-related certificate (i.e., safe food service, customer service).
CATT is the proud Canadian member of the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (GTTP)
An international network of travel and tourism education
CATT schools gain access to numerous GTTP educational resources, plus bonus courses offered by its global partners. Schools can also participate in student competitions that encourage an understanding of tourism’s impact from the local to the global level.
CATT Highlights
Launched by the American Express Foundation and housed at Tourism HR Canada
New version launch for the program
Have achieved certificates from the CATT program
Across Canada offer CATT programming
For more information on the Canadian Academy of Travel and Tourism or to register your high school, please fill out this contact form.
Tourism HR Canada thanks Immigration, Science and Economic Development Canada for its contribution to the redesign of the CATT program through the Tourism Relief Fund: National Priorities Stream.
To enquire about regulations concerning the use of Tourism HR Canada copyrighted materials, email copyright@tourismhr.ca.
Tourism HR Canada is committed to excellence in serving all employees and customers, including people with disabilities. To provide feedback on the way Tourism HR Canada provides goods and services to people with disabilities, call us at 613-231-6949, email info@tourismhr.ca, or direct correspondence to:
Tourism HR Canada
901-275 Slater Street
Ottawa, ON K1P 5H9.