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Impact & Reach

Resilience. Capacity. Collaboration.

The tourism sector is a remarkably diverse one, comprised of five distinct but related industry groups: accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel services.

Although its widespread nature contributes to its undeniably strong impact on the economy and culture, it also presents unique challenges in terms of workplace standards and best practises. The need is great for a unifying body to create Best-In-Class industry employment standards, attract and retain talent to the sector and strengthen opportunities for vulnerable populations.
That’s why OTEC, together with our partners, created the Tourism SkillsNet Ontario (TSNO) alliance in 2018 to align provincial workforce strategy with local collaboration around industry-specific regional labour challenges. TSNO builds capacity across the alliance by increasing resilience and competitiveness of Ontario’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
Tourism SkillsNet Ontario (TSNO) is delivered in partnership with the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA), the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) and a network of local industry and workforce development organizations, with funding through industry partners, government grants and initiatives.
 
TSNO brings a wide range of sector stakeholders together with the shared goal of driving innovative workforce development solutions – including employers, industry associations, regional tourism organizations, unions, Indigenous organizations, community employment service providers, training/educational institutions, municipalities, community workforce development organizations and leaders in up-skilling, re-skilling and HR technology.
Comprised of over 270 organizations and 19 tourism destinations across Ontario, TSNO delivers workforce planning, partnership building, talent pool development and skills training at the community level through regional delivery hubs across the province. These hubs serve as action centres to assist workers in need of retraining, up-skilling, employment and support, including those whose jobs were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through Tourism and Hospitality Emergency Recovery – A Recovery Plan for Workers and Workplaces (THER).
  • 19 Destination
  • 270+ Organizations
  • 78% Growth since 2018

320

TSNO members

2018

TSNO active since

270+

Organizations

21

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

19

Representing organizations

28

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

22

Representing organizations

20

Regional groups members

2018

Active since

19

Representing organizations

13

Regional groups members

2018

Active since

12

Representing organizations

19

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

19

Representing organizations

21

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

20

Representing organizations

27

Regional groups members

2018

Active since

23

Representing organizations

24

Regional groups members

2018

Active since

19

Representing organizations

13

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

11

Representing organizations

16

Regional groups members

2018

Active since

15

Representing organizations

28

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

19

Representing organizations

17

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

16

Representing organizations

21

Regional groups members

2018

Active since

17

Representing organizations

20

Regional groups members

2018

Active since

17

Representing organizations

25

Regional groups members

2020

Active since

23

Representing organizations

-

Regional groups members

--

Active since

-

Representing organizations

12

Regional groups members

2022

Active since

9

Representing organizations

6

Regional groups members

2022

Active since

6

Representing organizations
The TSNO alliance delivers impact at both the provincial level (through a provincial council) and at the local tourism destination level (through regional working groups), collectively creating out-of-the-box workforce development solutions.

TSNO’s four strategic priorities are critical to employers and other stakeholders in addressing the tourism sector’s specific labour and skills shortage and enhancing the effectiveness and competitiveness of businesses in the tourism industry:

  1. Foster a shared vision – an environment of focused collaboration and coordination
  2. Develop a skilled, nimble and reliable talent pipeline for employers
  3. Secure opportunities for jobseekers aiming to build transferrable skills and experience
  4. Increase job seeker’s interest in tourism roles by enhancing the sector’s image and illustrating the range of career options

TSNO top 10 benefits

  1. Enables sector collaboration, coordination and partnership
  2. Develops a skilled, nimble and reliable talent pool for employers
  3. Secures opportunities for jobseekers aiming to build transferable skills and experience
  4. Supports vulnerable employee populations with specialized industry skills training
  5. Attracts and retains talent in a broadly diverse sector
  6. Leads workforce resiliency planning
  7. Establishes “best in class” professional standards in a highly diverse industry
  8. Provides single point of access to wide range of province-wide programming
  9. Supports prosperity and economic development of communities where they operate
  10. Accesses industry-recognized, locally-customized workplace training; latest HR technology, tools and resources; and government programs to improve productivity.

People have always been at the core of the hospitality and tourism industry. We believe a resilient and thriving workforce contributes to a dynamic and competitive industry.

Bring Tourism SkillsNet Ontario (TSNO) to your destination. For information on how to get involved Contact Us