Culinary & Agritourism READI™
Training Program
The Culinary & Agritourism READI training program was developed by the Culinary Tourism Alliance in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. The program teaches businesses about the best practices for developing, pricing and marketing experiences.
At the end of the program, participants will have a strong framework for a culinary or agritourism experience. In addition, this training program helps businesses prepare to meet the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s Culinary and Agritourism READI™ Stamp criteria.
Topics Covered:
Introduction to culinary, agritourism, and foodways
Culinary & agritourism experience design
Partnerships, pricing & certifications in culinary tourism experience design
Promoting and using storytelling to deliver culinary experiences
Measuring, evaluating & celebrating culinary experiences
Who can benefit from this program
The Culinary & Agritourism READI ™ program is designed for business operators looking to elevate their culinary or agritourism experiences. It can benefit businesses whether they are in the beginning stages of experience development or are looking to enhance an existing experience.
Businesses that can benefit from this program include:
Food and beverage businesses
Restaurants
Breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries
Farmers’ markets and food retailers
Farms
Attractions
Tour operators
Program Delivery
Participants invest approximately 18 hours over a 3-month period. The program includes:
2 live group workshops
In-person business experience assessment
5 self-directed online learning modules
Workbook activities
2 virtual business coaching session with a Culinary Tourism Alliance expert
The Culinary Tourism Alliance team tailors each coaching session to meet the specific goals and needs of each business operator. Sessions can cover a range of topics, including experience design, storytelling, partnership development, business operations and marketing strategies.
Enrollment Options
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Destination Cohort
DMOs or organizations can purchase this program for a cohort of businesses. Our team will customize the program to your destination and will deliver an in-person workshop and business assessments.
Pricing
$18,500 for a cohort of 8 businesses
$24,000 for a cohort of 12 businesses
$29,500 for a cohort of 16 businesses
Prices do not include travel expenses. TIAC members are eligible for a 5% discount.
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Individual Business Enrollment
This option is for individual businesses OR DMOs that do not have enough businesses to fill a full cohort. Enrollment is now open for the Spring 2026 program.
Upcoming Session Details
Online Workshop #1: April 13, 1 – 2:30pm ET
Online Coaching Session #1: Week of May 4
Online Coaching Session #2: Week of June 1
Online Workshop #2: June 9, 1 – 2:30pm ET
Pricing
$1,695 +HST per business. TIAC members are eligible for a 5% discount.
Ready to Learn More About READI?
Please note that there are additional costs associated with achieving the Culinary and Agritourism READI™ designation.
These costs are managed by TIAC.
“Explore Edmonton sees READI as a practical, high-value program that strengthens a pipeline of visitor-ready and market-ready culinary and agritourism experiences across the region. By the end of 2025, READI had supported 20 regional partners. The one-to-one coaching delivered by the Culinary Tourism Alliance team was particularly effective, giving each partner dedicated space to talk through ideas, pressure-test concepts, and move forward in ways that reflected their own priorities and challenges. One unexpected but important outcome was the way the program strengthened regional collaboration, bringing tourism and economic development partners closer together, improving alignment, and building a stronger shared ability to support the businesses and organizations that ultimately serve our visitors.”
—James Leppan, Director, Destination Strategy, Explore Edmonton
Contact us today to start the journey to becoming Culinary and Agritourism READI!
