In the XXI century, the tourism and hospitality industry has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the world economy. The need to train qualified personnel for this sphere has prompted many Russian universities to start training students in service and tourism-related fields of study. The article summarizes twenty years of experience of Ural Federal University tourism department in improving the educational program “Tourism” in terms of interaction with the professional community. Attention is paid to unique programs of additional education and advanced training for specialists in the field, and the areas of analytical, expert activities, and consulting are considered. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of interaction with graduates of the department, whose career achievements in tourism and hospitality in no small measure contributed to the promotion of UrFU in the subject ranking QS Hospitality & Leisure Management.