Tourism Management is the largest industry in the world. Visitors today place a higher demand upon destinations to provide quality experiences. This heightened demand requires a higher level of professionalism.

The diversity of tourism careers offers you a unique opportunity to select a career in an area that you enjoy such as event/festival management, group tour management, outdoor/ adventure tourism, or historical tourism. The Tourism Management program at Finger Lakes is designed to prepare you for an exciting marketing or management career in this growing industry.

The Tourism Management Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is designed with an emphasis on the development of entry level skills for managerial positions in destination marketing organizations, convention services, convention centers, meeting/planning, event management, commercial and public attractions, chambers of commerce, and wineries. Students will develop the skills and aptitudes necessary to succeed in the tourism industry through the application of authentic case studies and group projects.

The Tourism Management program at FLCC received the Edward Allen Tourism Award as an outstanding tourism program in New York State. The New York State Travel and Vacation Association, in bestowing the award, cited the tourism program at FLCC as "the most appropriate preparation for students seeking careers in the tourism industry." The New York State Division of Tourism recognized our faculty as outstanding tourism educators.

As part of the SUNY Learning Network (SLN), students pursuing the A.A.S. Tourism Management degree may take the majority of the curriculum requirements online. Students may take a course at a convenient time and place without the need to travel to campus, thus eliminating any time and location restrictions a student may have.

In addition, the College offers honors courses that provide enhanced educational experiences for students who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability. Enrollment in honors courses is open to qualified students enrolled in this degree program, as well as all other qualified FLCC students. Successful completion of honors courses or an Honors Certificate may increase student transfer options to four-year institutions.

Experiences abound in the Tourism Management program at FLCC. Internship opportunities, both paid or unpaid, have been arranged through the Seneca Park Zoo, Strong Museum, Canandaigua Lady, Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Seneca Falls Urban Cultural Park, Yates County Chamber of Commerce, Finger Lakes Tourism, Niagara Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Rochester Visitors Association, Glenora Winery, Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, and AAA. As part of the Walt Disney World College Program, students in the Tourism Management degree program work at the world-famous destination, gaining the experience of a lifetime.

In the Tourism Management degree program, students are required to complete field-based courses. These courses involve visitation to model destinations such as Cleveland, the Adirondack Park, Cooperstown, Ottawa, and Quebec City to study destination planning, marketing, and management. Students also visit Charleston and Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, to study historic preservation, municipal tourism planning, and eco-tourism. Students also attend seminars in each destination conducted by tourism professionals and conduct a comprehensive destination analysis.

Graduates from the program have transferred to complete baccalaureate degrees in tourism, marketing, public relations, and communications at four-year institutions such as Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY College at Brockport, St. John Fisher College, Niagara University, SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, Central Florida University, the University of Arizona, Purdue University, and Clemson University.*

Our graduates have gone on to fill positions such as special events coordinator and group tour coordinator at the Seneca Park Zoo; convention sales executive for the city of Binghamton, NY; special event coordinator for the Seneca Falls Historical Society; visitor information specialist for the Greater Rochester Visitors Bureau; marketing specialist for Delta Airlines; meeting planner for Walt Disney World; group tour coordinator at the Monterey (CA) Aquarium; event planner at Glenova Winery; assistant to the owner at Bristol Mountain; director of sales for Canandaigua Lady; and group tour planner for AAA.

*This is a sampling of some of the four-year colleges and universities to which our students have transferred. Please consult your advisor or the Center for Advisement and Personal Development for a complete listing of transfer agreements between Finger Lakes Community College and four-year institutions.

If you are an FLCC student meeting the specific criteria, you may be eligible for the Bristol Mountain Tourism, Wentz Family Award, Tourism Faculty Award, or Finger Lakes Visitors Connection Tourism scholarships. Many of our students have received statewide scholarships sponsored by the tourism industry such as the Destinations of New York scholarship. Contact a member of the Tourism Management faculty or the Financial Aid Office for details.