The International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA) has launched its Certified Culinary Tourism Professional (CCTP) program for hospitality, tourism and foodservice professionals.

The certification process consists of five modules of online training and research with a final paper. It costs $1,295.

Culinary tourism, which was incepted in 2001, is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences, often through travel. The definition does not just refer to high-end culinary and wine experiences, which are a subcategory called gourmet tourism under the broad definition.

This is the first certification program to focus exclusively on culinary tourism. It was created in response to requests from ICTA members and other culinary and travel professionals to fill a learning gap in the travel industry. For more information on ICTA or to register for CCTP certification, visit ICTA's Web site.