LinkBC: the tourism & hospitality education network

Abstract:The British Columbia tourism industry—post Olympics—is in a state of transition, and this presents an opportunity to compare practices with similar overseas destinations. There are enough similarities with the New Zealand tourism industry (population base, comparable range of tourism experiences, Pacific Rim location etc.) that we can benefit by exploring, and learning from each other, particularly in the field of tourism education and research. Terry Hood will present a brief and informal overview of the tourism infrastructure in “Super, Natural British Columbia”, and highlight current issues that are high on the radar for tourism professionals in the province. He will then provide details about the many initiatives of LinkBC: the tourism and hospitality education network. This organization serves 19 BC colleges and universities that offer tourism-related programs, and plays a key role in connecting students and graduates with the industry.

Biography: Terry Hood has been a leader in the fields of tourism education, regional tourism planning, project management and Aboriginal education program development for 25 years. He currently manages the LinkBC network (www.linkbc.ca) in British Columbia. Through this organization he has led the development of the Tourism Online Resource Centre (www.bctorc.ca) and coordinated the development of a number of tourism-related learning resources including Transforming Communities through Tourism, and Cultural/Heritage Tourism: a Handbook for Community Champions.As principal of the North Shore Project Leadership consultancy, he has coordinated the development of many tourism strategic plans for both Canadian and international clients. A graduate of Simon Fraser University, Terry has also held faculty positions at the University of British Columbia and Capilano University. Terry was the recipient of the provincial BC William Van Horne Tourism Visionary Award in 2009.