LinkBC

Tourism Knowledge and Resources

The professionalism of BC's tourism workforce is only as strong as the network of resources to support it. LinkBC facilitates ongoing learning by developing, managing and promoting the uptake of made-in-BC learning resources, and supporting professional development. These include:

Tourism Learning System* Handbooks and Resources

LinkBC facilitates the development of Tourism Learning System guiding documents in partnership with deans and administrators from network schools.

Industry-informed Handbooks and Resources

These include Transforming Communities through Tourism (used in community tourism classes province-wide) and a new national Cultural Heritage Tourism handbook (launch: 2012).

BC Tourism Learning System: Status Report (supporting the Task Force)

A group of BC tourism and hospitality educators is looking for ways to strengthen the system. In March of 2013 a Status Report was released for commenting. Through 2013 it will be used to create an Action Plan that multiple stakeholders can use to better serve the needs of the education community.

To view the draft Status Report, click here.

The Tourism Online Resource Centre (TORC)

LinkBC manages and promotes this home-grown resource. TORC is updated daily, offering amazing resources free of charge, 24 hours day. The site bridges the content found in most college and university libraries with the ever-expanding stream of content found on most search engines. Our network of content contributors add special interest items found nowhere else!

Discussions are now under way to transform the site into the Portal for Resources in Tourism (PORT). Stay tuned as we canvass our stakeholders to make an even more robust information exchange platform.

Serving as secretariat for the Tourism Educators Conference

Hosted by a different set of partners every year, the conference is an opportunity for instructors to network, share best practice, and have a little fun! LinkBC uses its communications network to assist with conference promotion and, where appropriate, planning.

*What is the BC Tourism Learning System?

The informally-named BC Tourism Learning System (TLS) is unique in North America. It was developed by a consortium of educators in the 1990s to help build a professional tourism and hospitality workforce in British Columbia.

Colleges and universities from across BC collaborated to create a set of recognized provincial handbook -- outlining common learning outcomes at the diploma level, and common themes and topics at the degree level.

Key industry associations were involved in validating these resources, now available in six program disciplines. These laddered programs represent the "product" marketed to students interested in a career in tourism.