Certified Transformative Tourism Program

Academic credibility meets applied practice. Three self-paced programs with the University of South Carolina build the frameworks, regenerative thinking, and market positioning that equip you to lead in the transformation economy.

Learn more & Enroll
Learn more & Enroll

This certification program combines academic credibility with TTC's global leadership in transformative experience design. Three programs build from foundational understanding through regenerative practice to strategic marketing, equipping you with the frameworks and tools to position your organization or destination at the leading edge of the transformation economy.

Each program is fully self-paced. Work through four thematic Pillars of on-demand content at your own pace, including teaching videos, practitioner interviews, readings, and reflective exercises. Schedule 1:1 office hours with Jake Haupert (methodology and framework application) or Dr. Ed Dramberger (destination strategy and implementation) for personalized advisement on your deliverables. Each program culminates in a Panel Review where you present your work to the faculty panel for expert feedback.

Enrollment: April 13 to May 26, 2026.

Late Enrollment: May 27 to July 1, 2026, with an additional $75 fee (per program or once for the bundle).

Program Order: Programs can be taken in any order. Each program is designed to stand on its own. Programs 2 and 3 include pre-recorded foundational content for participants who have not completed Program 1.

Program Launch: All three programs launch June 1, 2026. Participants may begin any program on or after this date.

Who’s this for

DMO and CVB professionals, tour operators and experience designers, hospitality leaders, travel guides and facilitators, and wellness professionals in travel.

The program is designed for practitioners who want structured, academically certified learning in transformative tourism, whether you are new to this work or building on years of experience.

3 Programs at Your Own Pace

Level 300

Program 1: Foundations of Transformative Tourism

$1,100 | TTC Members and USC Alumni receive 15% off (Members us code TOURISM)

Focus: Self, Others, Bridging | Recommended for: All Sectors

Introduces Pine & Gilmore's Progression of Economic Value, TTC's PATH framework and HEART tool, the Hero's Journey, regenerative principles, the 5-Stage Experience Development Canvas, the 5C Criteria (Connection, Contrast, Co-creation, Contribution, Continuity), and human flourishing frameworks. You will explore what distinguishes experiences from transformations and begin mapping your own offerings against this continuum.

Tangible Takeaway:

A completed Transformative Experience Design Brief with your Experience Development Canvas, transformative value proposition, and top three implementation priorities for your organization or destination.

Register now →
Register now →

Level 300

Program 2: Regeneration in Action

$1,100 | TTC Members and USC Alumni receive 15% off (Members us code TOURISM)

Focus: Others, Bridging | Recommended for: DMOs, Hospitality

Teaches whole systems thinking, Paul Hawken's 12 Regeneration Questions, reciprocity frameworks, biophilic design, place-based strategy, and community development approaches. You will shift from linear to systems thinking and learn to navigate the tensions inherent in balancing growth with preservation. This program addresses the intentional paradox at the heart of our work: that tourism, by its nature extractive, can be consciously designed to regenerate rather than deplete.

Tangible Takeaway:

A Regenerative Development Roadmap with a systems map showing reciprocity flows, your regeneration assessment, design principles grounded in your specific context, and an implementation timeline.

Register now →
Register now →

Level 300

Program 3: Tell the Story: Marketing & Sales

$1,100 | TTC Members and USC Alumni receive 15% off (Members us code TOURISM)

Focus: Self, Bridging | Recommended for: Tour Operators, DMOs

Covers the complete customer journey, the seven transformative traveler types, story-based marketing using the Hero's Journey, regenerative marketing principles, consultative sales as service, and values-aligned partnership development. You will learn to communicate transformation in ways that resonate without overselling, honoring both your audience's intelligence and the depth of what you are offering.

Tangible Takeaway:

A Transformative Marketing & Stakeholder Engagement Strategy with your stakeholder journey map, values-aligned personas, story-based messaging framework, and strategic partnership opportunities.

Register now →
Register now →

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Complete Program For Certification

Complete Series Bundle

Enroll in all three programs for $2,800 (TTC Members and USC Alumni: $2,380), saving $500 over individual enrollment.  Bundle participants complete a capstone project integrating all three programs into a comprehensive strategy, earning certification as a Transformative Travel Professional through the University of South Carolina.

All three programs with self-paced content and expert advisement

  • 1:1 office hours with Jake Haupert and Dr. Ed Dramberger (up to 3 per program)

  • On-demand content from industry leaders and practitioners

  • Three implementable deliverables (organizational assets, not just learning exercises)

  • Capstone review and certification as Transformative Experience Leader

  • Programs count toward TTC's portfolio-based accreditation pathway

Register for the Complete Series Bundle
Register for the Complete Series Bundle

How It Works

Each program is fully self-paced, designed so you can engage with content on your own schedule and receive personalized guidance from the industry leaders who built these frameworks. No fixed meeting times. No time-zone constraints.

Self-Paced Content

Work through four thematic Pillars at your own pace. Each Pillar includes teaching videos, two practitioner interviews, a reading, and a reflective questionnaire. Pillars unlock sequentially as you complete each one

Expert Office Hours

Schedule 1:1 sessions with Jake Haupert (methodology and framework application) or Dr. Ed Dramberger (destination strategy and implementation). Each program includes up to three sessions: one required before your Panel Review, plus two additional for deliverable guidance.

Panel Review & Certification

Submit your draft deliverable and schedule your 45-minute Panel Review with Jake Haupert, Jillian Keenan, and Dr. Ed Dramberger. Present your work, receive expert feedback, then refine and submit your final deliverable for written advisement and program certification.

Practical Deliverables

Each Pillar includes a building block of your final deliverable. By the time you complete all four Pillars, you have built the core of an implementable document for your organization.

Meet Your Instructors

Jake Haupert

Founder and Chair, Transformational Travel Council

Jake Haupert is the architect of TTC's methodology and the author of The Transformation Economy. He brings two decades of practice in transformative experience design and regenerative tourism to every session, guiding participants through framework application and the strategic thinking behind designing for transformation in people and places.

Dr. Ed Dramberger

Founding Director of Executive Education, University of South Carolina

Dr. Ed Dramberger brings 41 years of global tourism experience across hotels, destination management companies, convention and visitor bureaus, and tourism boards in over 187 countries. His research focuses on the buyer-seller relationship within destination product and consumer engagement. Ed has worked with NGOs and national tourism boards on strategic planning that has increased visitor arrivals by 15%, and has over 30 years of teaching experience in international business, sales, marketing, and hospitality. As Founding Director of Executive Education at USC, he develops curriculum and training programs bridging industry and academia. Ed guides participants through destination strategy, implementation planning, and the commercial realities of bringing transformative offerings to market.