Taste of Place Leadership Program
The Taste of Place Leadership course teaches DMO professionals how to support the growth of culinary and agritourism in their communities. Upcoming programs are available in Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 with a combination of self-paced online learning modules, workbook activities and online group discussions.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this program, you will be able to:
Define your destination's taste of place and identify storytelling opportunities
Learn how to identify and evaluate your destination’s culinary and agritourism assets
Provide targeted support to businesses in the Culinary Tourism Value Chain
Leverage best practices in culinary and agritourism to help coach businesses to develop multisensory taste of place experiences
Use strategic initiatives, culinary and agritourism trails, ambassador programs, and events to attract food tourists to your destination
After completing the program, you'll receive a Taste of Place Leadership certificate and your achievement will be celebrated online by the Culinary Tourism Alliance.
Who can benefit from this program
Taste of Place Leadership Training is designed for destination professionals from organizations, including:
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)
Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs)
Economic Development Departments
Sector Organizations
Provincial or Federal Departments or Agencies
Municipal Governments
Program Delivery
The course consists of self-paced online learning modules with supporting workbook activities. Learners will also participate in synchronous sessions led by experienced culinary tourism professionals, and interactive online group discussions facilitating the exchange of ideas and best practices with other professionals in your cohort.
Seats are limited to ensure there are opportunities for meaningful discussions within the cohort. Upcoming programs are available in October 2026 and March 2027. The expected time commitment for this program is approximately 20 hours over the course of 3 months.
Program Pricing
$3,000 per participant (Culinary Tourism Alliance members are eligible for a 10% discount).
Self-Paced Learning Modules
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Defining Culinary Tourism, Agritourism, and Taste of Place
Discussing emerging trends and target markets
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Culinary and agritourism market readiness
Identifying, evaluating, and mapping food businesses in your destination
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Developing relationships with food businesses
Understanding common challenges faced by food businesses
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Best practices in culinary and agritourism experience development
Coaching businesses as they develop their visitor experiences
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Crafting compelling culinary and agritourism destination narratives to attract visitors
Working with operators to capture their taste of place stories
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Understanding the opportunities for culinary and agritourism programs and products
Case studies of culinary and agritourism trails, events and accreditations
Aligning culinary and agritourism growth with existing destination strategies
Group Discussion Sessions
Group sessions after each module encourage the exchange of ideas, discussion of challenges, resolutions, opportunities, and best practices. Attendance in every group session is not mandatory to receive a certificate, but it is expected that participants will be able to attend 4 out of the 5 sessions.
Group Discussions led by:
Rebecca Mackenzie, President and CEO
Rebecca Gordon, Destination Development Officer
Ian Worte, Destination Development Manager
Fall 2026 Session Dates
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Discussion 1
Identifying your Destination’s Taste of Place
Date: October 16, 2026
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Discussion 2
Building Relationships with Culinary & Agritourism Businesses
Date: October 30, 2026
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Discussion 3
Coaching Businesses to Deliver Market-Ready Food Experiences
Date: November 13, 2026
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Discussion 4
Telling Your Taste of Place Story
Date: November 27, 2026
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Discussion 5
Culinary Trails & Strategic Initiatives
Date: December 11, 2026
Winter 2027 Session Dates
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Discussion 1
Identifying your Destination’s Taste of Place
Date: March 12, 2027
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Discussion 2
Building Relationships with Culinary & Agritourism Businesses
Date: April 2, 2027
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Discussion 3
Coaching Businesses to Deliver Market-Ready Food Experiences
Date: April 16 2027
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Discussion 4
Telling Your Taste of Place Story
Date: April 30, 2027
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Discussion 5
Culinary Trails & Strategic Initiatives
Date: May 14, 2027
Meet our previous graduates
