CETT

What CETT does

CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy is a private higher education institution (legal entity Estudis d'Hoteleria i Turisme CETT, S.A.) headquartered at Av. Can Marcet 36-38, Barcelona, with a stated trajectory of 55 years (founded circa 1971). It is formally affiliated with the University of Barcelona (CETT-UB), which grants official university-degree validity to its programs. CETT delivers a multi-tier academic portfolio: 8 vocational training cycles (FP), 8 undergraduate degrees, 9 master's and postgraduate programs, 10+ professional development courses, micro-credentials, and 20 international short programs (summer/winter/semester), taught across three areas — Tourism and Hospitality, Cuisine and Gastronomy, and Marketing and Events.

The institution operates a vertically integrated training infrastructure that includes Hotel Universitario Alimara (a working hotel used for practical training), the Àgora BCN student residence, Aula Restaurant (a student-run gastronomic venue), and the CETT Innovation Hub comprising three labs (Tourism Exploration Lab, Alimara Living Lab, FoodXplore Lab). Technology supports delivery through a virtual campus platform (campus.cett.es) and digital channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube) used for direct student recruitment. CETT also runs the Càtedra UB de Turisme, Hoteleria i Gastronomia CETT, three dedicated research groups, and two academic journals (Ara, Tourism and Heritage Journal).

CETT's revenue model is tuition-led, with annual program fees across FP, undergraduate, master's, and professional tiers, supplemented by income from on-campus hospitality assets (hotel, residence, restaurants), corporate training and consultancy, and government/EU-subsidized programs such as Primer Emprèn. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the Barcelona campus, the virtual campus, information sessions, open days, and education fairs, with international recruitment supported by exchange programs and English-taught degrees. CETT serves approximately 2,600 students drawn from 70+ nationalities and channels 1,100+ internship offers and 1,500+ job offers annually through its CETT Talent career services.

Name

CETT

Legal name

Estudis d'Hoteleria i Turisme CETT, S.A.

Website

https://cett.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CETT is a Barcelona-based private higher education institution affiliated with the University of Barcelona, delivering vocational, undergraduate, master's, professional, and international programs in tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy to 2,600+ students from 70+ nationalities, supported by an on-campus training hotel, residence, restaurants, and three innovation labs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Academic tuition and program fees: CETT generates revenue through tuition fees from vocational training, university degrees, masters, postgraduates, and professional training programs. Programs range from vocational education (FP) to advanced university degrees, with pricing varying by program type and duration.
2. Subsidized training programs: Some programs like Primer Emprèn are offered free of charge, 100% funded by government entities (Department of Enterprise and Labor of Catalonia and European Social Fund Plus).
3. Free summer courses: Mercabarna Summer Course and other courses are offered with free enrollment, funded through institutional partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CETT is a higher education institution that delivers academic and vocational training in tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy, spanning vocational cycles (FP), University of Barcelona-affiliated undergraduate degrees, master's and postgraduate programs, continuing professional training, micro-credentials, and international short programs. It supplements classroom learning with operational training facilities including Hotel Universitario Alimara, Àgora BCN residence, Aula Restaurant, and the CETT Innovation Hub research labs.

Product overview

CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy is an educational institution affiliated with the University of Barcelona offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs spanning vocational training (8 cycles), university degrees (8 undergraduate programs including Tourism, Culinary Sciences, Hotel Management, Marketing), masters and postgraduates (9 programs), professional development courses (10+ programs), micro-credentials, and international short programs (20 courses). The institution operates a multi-brand ecosystem including Hotel Universitario Alimara (training hotel), Àgora BCN (student residence), CETT Innovation Hub (with Tourism Exploration Lab, Alimara Living Lab, and FoodXplore Lab), Aula Restaurant (student-run gastronomic restaurant), research groups, academic journals (Ara and Tourism and Heritage), entrepreneurship support (Programa Primer Emprèn), career services (CETT Talent), and awards programs (Premios CETT Alimara). With 55 years of history, 2,600+ students, and 70+ nationalities, CETT connects academia with industry through hands-on training facilities and industry partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CETT Innovation Hub: Innovation hub at CETT featuring Tourism Exploration Lab, Alimara Living Lab, and FoodXplore Lab
• Primer Emprèn Program
• CETT Alimara Awards
• International Congress on Gastronomy Tourism

Products and services

• Vocational Training (Formación Profesional) Intermediate and superior-level vocational training cycles combining theoretical and practical training in tourism, hospitality, gastronomy, and related administrative fields for students entering the labor market.
• University Degrees (Grados Universitarios)

Quantifiable outcome

• +1,100 internship offers and +1,500 job offers annually through career services

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MercabarnacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026CETT-UB and Mercabarna jointly organize the Mercabarna Summer Course 2026, a free intensive course focused on gastronomy with impact, sustainability, product, innovation, and communication to generate real value.
• University of Barcelona (UB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCETT is an affiliated center of the University of Barcelona, offering official university degrees. The partnership includes the Càtedra UB de Turisme, Hoteleria i Gastronomia CETT and shared research activities.
• Department of Enterprise and Labor of CataloniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Primer Emprèn Program is subsidized by the Department of Enterprise and Labor, providing free entrepreneurship training in tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy sectors.
• AMBIT ClusterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMBIT Cluster collaborates on the GIVAH project (Generative AI for Hospitality Spaces), working on AI-driven hospitality space design and personalization.
• Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología (UDIT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing research expertise in experiential design, multimodal co-creation, and user experience for the GIVAH project.
• Cluster Audiovisual de CatalunyaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the GIVAH project as part of the organized ecosystem, contributing to innovation in hospitality design.
• Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital TransformationminorOthersProvides support for the GIVAH project through government innovation funding programs.
• CETT FundaciócoreOthersCETT Fundació supports research, academic excellence awards, entrepreneurship programs, and promotes knowledge development in tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy.
• AEI (Agrupaciones Empresariales Innovadoras)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish Business Innovation Groups supporting the GIVAH project and hospitality innovation initiatives.
• K-Food Master ChampionshipminorOthersInternational cooking competition held in Mokpo, Korea. CETT student Eric Buxó placed 4th among 13 international competitors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hotelschool The Hague: Dutch independent hospitality management school offering bachelor and master programs with a real operating hotel as training facility. Highly comparable to CETT in operating its own training hotel for applied learning.
• École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL): Switzerland's premier hospitality management school and one of the most recognized hospitality institutions globally. Comparable to CETT in delivering hotel, gastronomy, and tourism management degrees with strong industry placement.
• Les Roches International School of Hotel Management: Swiss-based global hospitality and culinary management school offering undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs. Closest direct competitor to CETT in the niche of branded hospitality higher education with strong international recruitment.
• Ostelea Tourism Management School: Spanish tourism management school offering undergraduate, master, and executive programs with a strong international focus. Directly competitive in the Spanish tourism-higher-education market and the same student persona as CETT.
• Le Cordon Bleu: Global culinary arts and hospitality education network with campuses worldwide. Directly comparable to CETT's culinary and gastronomy programs in curriculum structure, international student mix, and brand-driven premium positioning.
• Glion Institute of Higher Education: Swiss luxury hospitality and event management school with campuses in Switzerland and London. Directly comparable premium hospitality higher-education model with international student mix and applied training facilities.
• Basque Culinary Center: Spanish culinary and gastronomy higher-education institution in San Sebastián, with a Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences and applied research. Closest Spanish direct peer to CETT's gastronomy arm, with similar degree + research + industry model.
• Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration: Top US hospitality management school within Cornell University, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in hotel administration. Comparable in academic rigor, industry placement strength, and tourism/hospitality focus, though at a significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad de Barcelona (UB): Large Spanish public university to which CETT-UB is academically affiliated and through which CETT grants official undergraduate degrees. Comparable as the degree-granting umbrella and as the broader incumbent in Spanish higher education.
• IE University / IE Business School: Major Spanish private university with hospitality, tourism, and event management programs at undergraduate and master level. Competes for the same international student pool and B2B corporate training clients, but with a much broader portfolio beyond hospitality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CETTUB
• Facebookfacebook.com/CETTTourismHospitalityEducationResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cett
• Instagraminstagram.com/cett_ub
• TikToktiktok.com/@cett_ub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CETT