ISTHIA - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès

What ISTHIA - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès does

ISTHIA (Institut Supérieur du Tourisme de l'Hôtellerie et de l'Alimentation) is a public higher education institute specializing in tourism, hospitality management, and food studies, operating under Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès within the French state university system. The institute is led by Director Cyrille LAPORTE and was founded in 1987, with approximately 92 employees. It delivers a portfolio of degree programs including Bachelor's degrees in Tourism, Hospitality and Food Studies (THFS) and Pastry Arts (PA), and Master's degrees in THFS (taught entirely in English) and Food Studies and Gastronomy (FSG), supported by over 40 PhD researchers and more than 100 professional speakers. ISTHIA operates across four campuses — Toulouse, Foix, Cahors (France), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) — and serves over 1,000 students with a cumulative alumni base exceeding 10,000 graduates, reporting a 94% graduate employment rate at 30 months for the Class of 2020.

The institute's technology stack is built on standard university information systems, augmented by two proprietary research platforms: Ovalie, which supports food studies research, and TA2D, which serves as an expertise and applied research vehicle for industry collaboration. Research activity is anchored by a partnership with the CNRS-affiliated CERTOP laboratory and a dedicated Chair of Food Studies. ISTHIA also runs the ISTHIA Network community platform connecting students, alumni, and industry partners, and hosts the annual Management Game (Marc Combes Challenge) business simulation competition, currently in its 38th edition.

ISTHIA's revenue model is that of a public French higher education institution: state funding channeled through Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, supplemented by research grants and apprenticeship tax contributions from partner companies. Tuition is regulated by the French government. Go-to-market is sales-led and seasonal, driven by formal admissions campaigns (e.g., 2026-2027) and supported by digital presence on the isthia.fr website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, alongside international recruitment flows through Taylor's University in Kuala Lumpur. Customer segments are primarily domestic and international students in tourism, hospitality, and food disciplines, plus a secondary doctoral cohort, with no commercial customer concentration risk.

Name

ISTHIA - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès

Legal name

Institut Supérieur du Tourisme de l'hôtellerie et de l'Alimentation

Website

https://isthia.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISTHIA is a public French higher education institute under Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès that offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees in tourism, hospitality management, and food studies across four campuses in France and Malaysia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services (Tourism, Hospitality & Food Studies)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutes of Technology (IoT / Technical Universities) (EDAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Hospitality management education
• Tourism degree programs
• Food studies programs
• Higher education services
• Pastry arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: As a public university institute, ISTHIA receives government funding through Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, including subsidies, research grants, and apprenticeship tax contributions from partner companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISTHIA is a public higher education institute offering Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Tourism, Hospitality and Food Studies (THFS), Pastry Arts, and Food Studies and Gastronomy, delivered across campuses in France and Malaysia. Programs are complemented by applied research platforms (Ovalie, TA2D), a Chair of Food Studies, and the ISTHIA Network community platform supporting student-alumni-industry engagement.

Product overview

ISTHIA (Institut Supérieur du Tourisme, de l'Hôtellerie et de l'Alimentation) is a higher education institute belonging to Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, offering a portfolio of degree programs in tourism, hospitality management, and food studies. The institute provides Bachelor's and Master's degrees including THFS (Tourism, Hospitality and Food Studies), Pastry Arts, and Food Studies and Gastronomy. These programs are complemented by research platforms (Ovalie, TA2D), a Chair of Food Studies, and the ISTHIA Network community platform for students and alumni. The institute operates across four campuses (Toulouse, Foix, Cahors, and Kuala Lumpur) and hosts annual events such as the Management Game competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Tourism, Hospitality and Food Studies (THFS) A three-year undergraduate program covering tourism, hospitality management, and food studies, preparing students for careers in the hospitality and tourism industries.
• Bachelor's Degree Pastry Arts (PA) A specialized undergraduate program focused on pastry arts and culinary skills within the hospitality and food sector.
• Master's Degree Tourism, Hospitality and Food Studies (THFS) A graduate-level program taught entirely in English, combining social sciences with tourism, hospitality, and food studies for advanced analytical and operational skills.
• Master's Degree Food Studies and Gastronomy (FSG) A specialized master's program focusing on food studies and gastronomy, preparing graduates for professional careers in food-related industries or further doctoral research.
• Ovalie Platform A research platform at ISTHIA focused on tourism, hospitality, and food studies research activities.
• TA2D Platform A research and expertise platform for applied research in tourism, hospitality, and food sectors.
• ISTHIA Network An online community platform for ISTHIA students, alumni, and partners to connect throughout the academic year and prepare for professional futures.
• Chair of Food Studies A dedicated research chair focused on food studies, bringing together academics and industry professionals for interdisciplinary research.
• Management Game (Marc Combes Challenge) An annual business simulation competition for Master 2 students, now in its 38th edition, where students propose professional-level projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% graduate employment rate at 30 months after graduation (Class of 2020)

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational research partnership through CERTOP laboratory affiliation, providing research infrastructure and academic credibility for food studies and hospitality research programs.
• Taylor's University (Kuala Lumpur)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership enabling student exchanges, studying abroad opportunities, and joint international programs. Includes collaborative conferences such as the Asia Euro conference series.
• CERTOP LaboratorycoreTechnology or IntegrationJoint research conferences and academic collaboration in tourism, hospitality, and food studies research areas.
• Université Toulouse - Jean JaurèscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution providing administrative, funding, and academic framework for all programs and operations.
• OVE - Observatoire de la Vie EtudianteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for graduate outcomes tracking and employment rate surveys, providing transparency on career outcomes for prospective students.
• INNTO FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network partnership for innovation and entrepreneurship in tourism and hospitality sectors.
• Partner Laboratories NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationNetwork of research laboratories supporting doctoral programs and faculty research in food studies, sociology of food, and hospitality management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne: Swiss-based world-leading hospitality school offering Bachelor's and Master's degrees in hospitality management. Direct comparable to ISTHIA in mission (higher education for hospitality) but operates as a private institution with significantly larger international brand recognition and broader program portfolio.
• Institut Paul Bocuse: France-based higher education institution specializing in culinary arts, hospitality management, and food service. Located near Lyon, it competes with ISTHIA for French and international students pursuing hospitality and food studies credentials, including Pastry Arts-adjacent programs.
• Ecole Ducasse: France-based culinary and hospitality school founded by Alain Ducasse, with Paris campuses focused on pastry, cuisine, and bakery arts. Competes directly with ISTHIA's Pastry Arts program and broader food-studies offerings for culinary-focused students.
• Vatel School of Hospitality Management: French-founded hospitality and hotel management school with a global network of campuses, offering Bachelor's and Master's programs closely aligned with ISTHIA's THFS curriculum. Direct competitor for French-speaking students and international applicants seeking French hospitality credentials.
• Glion Institute of Higher Education: Swiss hospitality school delivering Bachelor's and Master's degrees in hospitality, luxury, and event management. Closely comparable in product offering and target market to ISTHIA's THFS programs, with a more internationally focused, fee-based model.
• Les Roches Global Hospitality Education: Swiss-based international hospitality school offering undergraduate and graduate programs in hotel management and tourism. Direct comparable to ISTHIA in curriculum and target student profile, with stronger global brand and multi-country delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Oxford Brookes University - Hospitality Management: UK university with established hospitality, tourism, and events management programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A broader incumbent operating in the same educational category as ISTHIA but with a much larger institutional footprint and broader subject portfolio.
• Nolan School of Hotel Administration (Cornell University): The leading US-based hospitality school embedded within Cornell University, offering undergraduate and graduate hospitality management degrees. A broader incumbent that competes for top international applicants but at a much larger scale and with significantly higher tuition.
• SKEMA Business School: French business school with multiple international campuses that includes hospitality and tourism management tracks within its broader management portfolio. A broader incumbent that overlaps with ISTHIA on certain tourism/hospitality graduate programs.

Regional players

• University of Strasbourg - IHT (Institut d'Hôtellerie et du Tourisme): French public university offering hospitality and tourism programs in eastern France. Comparable as a French public-university hospitality educator and direct competitor for domestic French students, though focused on a different regional geography than ISTHIA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP9PGwinwAdxW21mXDMze1A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/isthia
• Instagraminstagram.com/isthia_ut2j

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ISTHIA - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès