Ontario's tourism industry depends on a large and diverse workforce spanning accommodations, food services, attractions, transportation, events, recreation, destinations and other visitor-serving businesses.
At the same time, the infrastructure supporting tourism workforce development has weakened significantly.
TIAO's province-wide research found that more than 50 tourism-related post-secondary programs have recently been cancelled or suspended.
Domestic enrolment in tourism-related college programs has fallen substantially since 2024, while international enrolment has declined even more dramatically.
These reductions are occurring while tourism employers continue to report workforce challenges and Ontario seeks to grow its visitor economy. Tourism workforce responsibility also spans secondary education, colleges, skills development, immigration and industry organizations.
Stronger coordination is needed to rebuild Ontario's domestic talent pipeline and replace workforce leadership and capacity that has been lost.
TIAO's Position
Ontario needs to rebuild sustainable, industry-led tourism workforce development capacity and strengthen the talent pipeline connecting students, workers, educators and employers.
This requires both immediate action to preserve critical workforce infrastructure and a long-term model for coordinating tourism workforce development across Ontario.
What TIAO Recommends
Create an ongoing partnership involving TIAO, industry, government, educators, workforce organizations and other relevant partners.
The partnership would strengthen:
- industry engagement;
- information sharing;
- labour-market intelligence;
- coordination across ministries and organizations; and
- development of Ontario's long-term tourism talent pipeline.
Create a coordinated provincial plan covering:
- secondary-school pathways;
- post-secondary education;
- workforce development and skills training;
- work-integrated learning;
- labour-market intelligence;
- employer engagement;
- career awareness; and
- immigration and labour-market planning.
Develop sustainable infrastructure to replace tourism workforce leadership and capacity lost in Ontario.
Potential models could include a new organization, collaborative industry partnership, workforce incubator or another sustainable delivery structure.
The preferred model should include clear governance, partners, responsibilities and a long-term funding strategy.
Establish a targeted, time-limited Culinary, Tourism and Hospitality Program Stabilization Fund to preserve strategically important and regionally significant programs while colleges rebuild enrolment and develop new delivery models.
Future post-secondary funding approaches should also recognize the distinctive cost structure of applied culinary, tourism and hospitality education.
Create a provincial tourism work-integrated learning partnership that complements existing federal initiatives.
Support should help:
- educational institutions build stronger employer networks;
- businesses overcome financial and operational barriers to hosting placements;
- students gain meaningful year-round work experience; and
- employers build earlier relationships with potential employees.
Modernize tourism career awareness and secondary-school pathways, including Ontario's Tourism Specialist High Skills Major, and strengthen connections between students, employers and post-secondary programs.
What Success Looks Like
Ontario has a coordinated tourism workforce development system supported by current labour-market intelligence and meaningful industry participation.
Students understand the range of careers available in tourism.
Education and training programs respond to regional employer needs.
Businesses have stronger access to work-integrated learning and talent.
Ontario maintains the workforce capacity required to support tourism investment and economic growth.
Related Research & Resources
- Ontario Culinary, Tourism & Hospitality College Survey — 2026
- Forward Motion — Workforce Resilience
- Tourism Workforce Environmental Scan
- Ontario Tourism Workforce Development Initiative
- Work-Integrated Learning Recommendations
- Relevant provincial and federal workforce and immigration submissions
