Enlighten your ideas

Editorial of December 19, 2023

The end of the year is always a good time to slow down our hectic pace and to refocus on the essentials, taking care of ourselves and those around us. What if we took the opportunity to adopt this posture for our destinations, all year round? It would therefore be a question of taking care of them, in a more holistic way than the sustainable approach. We then speak of regenerative tourism, which aims to regenerate the vitality of places, populations, businesses, communities, ecological systems and to enrich visitors. This is the subject of our new article, which you will discover below!

Taking care of our destinations also means mitigating the effects of climate change on our territories and populations, while adopting adaptation measures. A large inventory of climate action has recently been carried out and shows progress, but also the long work that remains to be done.
Taking care of our destinations also means ensuring that tourism generates a net benefit and not negative damage. An Economist Impact study demonstrates the potential of the tourism industry to catalyze progress in terms of gender equity and social tolerance.

Tourism often gets bad press, criticized from all sides for its negative effects. It is up to us, as an actor in this industry, to play an ambassador role and to demonstrate that it can be part of the solution to environmental and social challenges. With that, the Touriscope team wishes you a good read and a very happy holiday season!

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Original TourScope article

Taking care of your destination through a regenerative approach

In the media, regenerative tourism is often presented from a visitor perspective, in the sense that the visitor is invited to “leave the destination in a better condition than when they arrived.” But is it only his responsibility to revitalize our territories? How can local actors take action and adopt a regenerative approach? What is the role to play by DMOs and what should they change in the way they “manage” the destination? Discover without further delay our article on this subject, which, in addition to demystifying this term, it offers a framework of practice for tourism organizations!

Elsewhere on the web

Measuring the impacts of tourism at the local level

Economist Impact recently published theThe Destination Always study which assesses all the positive and negative impacts of tourism at the local level. Based on a benchmark of 38 destinations around the world, the study identified those that benefit the most from the economic advantages while generating significant social and environmental benefits.

The study succeeded in identifying some of the benefits associated with the influx of tourists, including improved gender equity and greater social tolerance. Moreover, despite the general belief that tourism increases the cost of living for the local population, the study shows that this is generally not the case. Indeed, the correlation between the number of visitors and the price of rent is only made in major tourist destinations.

State of play of climate action in tourism

The Tourism Panel on Climate Change, a group of 60 experts from over 30 countries, published a study which provides an inventory of progress and gaps in climate action in tourism. Several dimensions were assessed: mitigation, adaptation, policy and financing. They were able to see that, at present, no country, destination or sector of activity has succeeded in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to tourism. Although it is a collective responsibility, the study highlights the importance of the role of tourism policies and tourism education programs in developing tourism that is more resilient in the face of climate change.

Case study: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association

Under the visionary leadership of its managing director, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) in British Columbia has adopted a more holistic management approach over the past several years. The association, certified Biosphere, is a pioneer and is often cited as an inspiring example. This article presents its various initiatives. In particular, we learn that no resource is in charge of sustainable development, since it concerns the entire team and is at the heart of TOTA's strategy. She created an interdepartmental committee that includes representatives of the 17 SDGs. In addition, the association operates under the “stakeholder” model, i.e. it no longer requires paid membership from members. Learn more about its practices by reading this article.

An interactive map for more sustainability!

The Paris Institute created an interactive map with the objective of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourist accommodation and travel sector in the implementation of sustainable practices. Several fields of action and solutions are explored and proposed, such as energy and water saving, waste management, responsible purchasing and consumption, mobility, CSR and many others. Designed as a toolbox, the actions are presented as follows: - The description and scope of the practice - The operational steps to follow - The stakeholders to be involved - The economic aspects to consider - The evaluation and monitoring of the practice - A level of difficulty of the practices What are you waiting for to take a look at it? ;)

Our projects

A mountain plan to adapt to the climate - Tourisme Montérégie

Following a request from the Quebec Ministry of Tourism, Tourisme Montérégie carried out a diagnosis for its mountain plan in order to guide tourism development actions in a perspective of transition towards more sustainable and responsible tourism, which benefits local communities. The Touriscope team was very happy to support ATR in this beautiful project, by carrying out an inventory of the six mountains in the region, by collecting the needs of visitors as well as actors in the region and by organizing a workshop of reflection with organizations present in the region. As a result of the study, Montérégie Tourism has launched a call for projects to finance initiatives promoting the tourism development of these six mountains!

I had this question in mind when my business partner told me about the Destination Canada event she attended last October, the International Destination Stewardship Symposium. The stewardship of destinations, Stewardship in English, is a term used in English-speaking Canada, but still absent in Quebec. By taking an interest in this subject, I realize that there is a direct link with regenerative tourism. And precisely, Destination Canada has released a study on A regenerative approach to tourism in Canada. This reading allowed me to finally grasp the essence of this vision and especially to realize that it is the most obvious way to take to perpetuate our tourist destinations. So I'm offering you these few things to think about from my reading!

Taking care of the living in a holistic way

The Destination Canada study starts with the concept of regeneration, which “stems from a vision of the world that focuses on living systems, since every living system regenerates.” It is a synonym for renewed vitality and self-healing. Regenerative ways of life are thus, by their nature, more holistic, integrated and respectful of all forms of life. They are inspired by the wisdom that is at the heart of the many world views of Indigenous peoples.

The authors of the study therefore summarize that “With this in mind, the aim of our activities is to participate in the revitalization and healing of ecosystems And human relationships on which the community, the economy and our collective well-being depend.”

This approach contrasts the world as a “machine” with the world as a “living system.” This dichotomy of vision, shown below, is a good example of the value creation generated by the regenerative approach. Sustainable development, which tends towards the absence of damage (“Net Zero”), is unfortunately an unrealistic goal according to the authors.

What does the regenerative approach mean in tourism?

Many host communities criticize the extractive and degenerative approach to tourism, which has the effect of reducing the quality of life of residents, reducing cultural vitality and impacting ecosystems. Conversely, the regenerative approach means taking care of the destination by taking actions that will have the effect of regenerating the vitality of places, populations, businesses, communities, ecological systems and ecological systems and enriching visitors.

This then goes against the traditional thinking of tourist-centered development, since priority here is given to respecting the needs of the community, not of the visitor from outside. We must therefore ask ourselves questions about the “net benefit” for the territory as a whole. And good news (but we already knew that!) , tourism can contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous territory in several ways:

• ‍By renewing relationships between people, across geographies, industries, and cultures; ‍
• By bringing people closer to nature, by making us aware of our interdependence within a vast living system in order to generate wealth without extraction; ‍
• By strengthening the role of communities of all sizes, discovering their inherent potential in order to reconcile different interests, places, populations and profits.

According to Destination Canada, a regenerative approach to tourism is based on three elements:

1. Creating a deliberate and meaningful connection between people and places;
2. The implementation of this shared desire by developing welcoming experiences and infrastructures that come to life thanks to local stories, knowledge and attention;
3. The realization of these actions in such a way as to promote the capacities for development and the resilience of populations, businesses, communities and ecological systems.

I also like the five commitments and the ten pillars of Tourism CoLab's regenerative approach in Australia:

How to adopt a regenerative approach?

Taking care of a destination as a whole does not seem to be a role clearly identified by the DMOs. That is why it may be necessary to adopt new ways of doing things. Destination Canada has replaced the term “management” of the destination with “stewardship” (Stewardship). It is a holistic approach adopted collectively to take care of the entire living system of a place, and therefore of the host community. This involves not only a change in the organization's raison d'être, but also in its leadership and governance style. From my understanding, the organization should therefore aim to develop a collective commitment around the destination and its potential, including the local population, institutions, businesses, businesses, visitors, etc.

In its study, Destination Canada provides a basic practice framework with principles and structure. The principles identified are based on the importance of working together to discover the unique essence and potential of our places and communities. Developing collective commitment then makes it possible to take care of people and places mutually.

In terms of structure, it is based on cooperation, starting from a stewardship circle composed of various members of the community. Each of them belongs to a “passion group” that has a specialization or area of interest (climate change, health of living environments, mobility, culinary tourism, agrotourism, agri-tourism, workforce strengthening, social justice, etc.). Finally, each of the people in these groups represents a host team, made up of individuals or businesses. This is where new products, services, or contributions develop (see diagram below).

The World Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has also just released a reference document that outlines the ten basic steps for adopting a destination stewardship approach, the Destination Stewardship Starter Kit.

Regenerative tourism and stewardship seem to be the words of the hour. But beyond these terms, it should above all be seen as a paradigm shift in the approach to the development and management of our tourist destinations. The intended result is more than exciting, since it conveys the promise of better tourism, which is at the service of a community to help it thrive, now and over time.

A big thank you to Véronique Lévy from the firm Ellio in Montreal for shedding light on this approach!

Sustainability at the heart of everything

In Quebec, since the announcement of the action plan for sustainable and responsible tourism by the Quebec Ministry of Tourism, the tourism sector is called upon to rethink its practices and reinvent its model. Indeed, the importance of sustainable development has never been stronger, laying the foundations for a profound transformation in the way we see, experience and value our destinations. This initiative has opened the way for collective reflection in the industry on the environmental and social impact of tourism.

Challenges that are still present

2023 was marked by an increase in extreme weather events, which is not without consequences for the tourism sector. Unfortunately, we can see that our industry has a significant lack of information about climate change that is specific to our industry. Despite growing awareness, our research has allowed us to observe that adaptation measures remain insufficient. However, destination management organizations are trying to identify ways to support businesses and improve their knowledge in adapting to climate change, as we saw with our Climate Fresco Workshop which aroused a lot of interest both in Quebec and in the Maritimes. In addition, Ouranos, with whom we collaborated this year, is actively working to support this adaptation.

- On this subject, see also our article La Fresque du Climat Tourism - A game as a lever for climate action

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Source: Touriscope

This year, tourism associations have equipped themselves to start the sustainable transition: participation in training courses, development of sustainable development plans, characterization of the sustainable offer on their territory, creation of dedicated positions, offer of support to their member companies, etc. Despite everything, our collaborations have allowed us to see that the industry is still wondering about its role and responsibilities in this area, which is normal in this period of change.

A pooling of efforts

Despite the challenges that are still present, our various supports this year allowed us to detect a very strong desire on the part of the tourism community to act in a more concerted manner. In fact, encouraged by the Quebec Ministry of Tourism and the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance, tourism associations support their members towards more sustainable initiatives, in particular through: certifications, looking forinspirations sustainable good practices implemented by international tourism businesses, or even by the establishment of communities of practice.

Also, the year 2023 marks the creation of Sustainable tourism lexicon by Tourisme Durable Québec, an essential free tool that allows the entire industry to align itself with a common language and thus facilitate understanding for all. Other tools were presented at the Quebec Sustainable Tourism Symposium, for which we collaborated to create the program.

In addition, a majority of tourist congresses have addressed the theme of sustainable development, such as that ofAEQ, and have implemented actions to be carbon neutral. It's encouraging for the future!

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Source: Quebec Ecotourism Adventure

Bicycle tourism as attractive as ever!

In Quebec as in the Maritimes, the increase in demand for cycling tourism is considerable. Thus, the year 2023 was marked by numerous projects around cycling.

Focus on projects supported this year:

- New strategic planning for the Acadian Peninsula Cycle Route

We supported La Véloroute de la Pénsula Acadienne in the revision of its strategic planning for the period 2024-2029 in order to better position itself in a sustainable approach, in particular by integrating the social dimension of sustainable development. Its mission is to “develop, manage and promote an attractive, safe and accessible experience for the various users of the Acadian Peninsula Cycle Route through a network of bike paths and events that reflect the unique identity of our community, strengthen regional commitment, promote regional commitment, promote sustainable development of the territory and encourage a healthy lifestyle.”

- On this subject, see also our work Harmonization of the bicycle product in Bas-Saint-Laurent

The development of protected areas

This year, the federal government announced funding to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to improve the protected areas network. It was paid as part of the future Nature 2030 Plan aimed at achieving the goals of the “Global Biodiversity Framework from Kunming to Montreal”, which aims to protect 30% of the country by 2030.

- To develop your knowledge on the subject, consult our article Let's demystify protected areas 

For more than a year, numerous organizations, parks and voluntary associations have taken action to benefit from aid. Our team has therefore noticed an increase in demand in this area since in fact, several actors have contacted the tourism industry in order to collaborate to promote the creation of new protected areas. This announcement will surely play a role in accelerating climate change adaptation!

- If you want to know more about the links between tourism and protected areas, see also our article: Protected areas and tourism.

 Source: Nature Conservancy

The emergence of a concept: Regenerative tourism

This year was marked by the spotlighting of the concept of regenerative tourism which aims to create a positive impact in the territory by adopting a holistic perspective to take care of the destination and the communities. It is often said that its mission is that the visitor “leaves the territory he is visiting in a better condition than when he arrived.”

Source: Ellio

The Destination Canada Destination Stewardship Symposium we attended this fall focused on this topic as DMO's new approach focuses on regeneration. This study suggests that Destination Canada, which is primarily a marketing organization, aims to exercise leadership in terms of tourism development. This is a trend to watch closely for years to come!

- On this subject, see also our article Take care of your destination through a regenerative approach.

The importance of hospitality

A new reception strategy for Quebec

This year, the Quebec Ministry of Tourism unveiled its new hospitality strategy. Bonjour Accueil 2023-2026 action plan With for objective to transform tourist reception into a key economic driver and to significantly improve the visitor experience. It is interesting to see this link between a good welcome and economic benefits. Indeed, visitors will be tempted to do an activity that they had not thought of; to visit a city or a region that was not planned in their initial itinerary or even to extend the duration of their stay.

Source: Quebec Ministry of Tourism

Develop inclusive and accessible hospitality

A quality welcome is meant to be accessible and inclusive, regardless of the form of tourism practiced. Indeed, accessibility in tourism is an issue that is more relevant than ever, as evidenced by the organization of the first Kéroul conference that we attended: Accessibility: an essential pillar of sustainable tourism.

This event emphasized the link between sustainable tourism and accessibility, which are both sensitive to the reduction of inequalities, respect for human rights and the importance of investing for the present as well as for the future. In addition, it demonstrated that the universal accessibility of the tourist offer and the reception does not only benefit people with disabilities but all visitors, especially senior customers. We also believe that staff have a crucial and complementary role to play in providing everyone with an inclusive, accessible and memorable experience.

Focus on a project supported this year:

Once again this year, wellness tourism is a constantly growing trend. Beyond the desire of spas to adopt sustainable practices, the need for these establishments to be accessible and inclusive for all, including people with disabilities, is important. For example, we accompanied the Jolie Vie Retreat Spa located in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, in its strategic planning. This wellness complex is fully adapted for all disabilities and is accredited Rainbow, highlighting the integration of the LGBTQ+ community in order to position itself as inclusive.

Enhance the particularity of the territory

Our year was marked by a demand for the need to highlight the land, its history and its culture in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. Initiatives to create collaborative projects with Acadians, First Nations and the promotion of the Francophonie were important. These projects allow visitors to forge closer relationships with Canada's various Francophone cultures, highlighting the unique heritages and cultural diversity present across these regions. This recognition of the importance of valuing history, intangible heritage and local traditions together paves the way for a deeper understanding and renewed appreciation of the cultural riches that are the pride and specificity of each province.

Focus on projects supported this year:

- Highlighting Acadian culture

In August 2023, the course Akadi Lumina opened its doors, showcasing Acadian culture in the Pays de la Sagouine in New Brunswick. This interactive experience created by Moment Factory is unique in Atlantic Canada. Visitors have the chance to be guided through the history of Acadian culture through a multitude of activities, each more original than the last. The experience was a great success. Among the 18 Lumina courses around the world, it is the one with the best NPS (Net Promoter Score) score.

Source: Akadi Lumina

- Highlighting the Francophonie in Ontario

Enhancing the Francophonie in Canada is of paramount importance in celebrating cultural and linguistic diversity while maintaining and promoting the unique and rich heritage of Francophone communities across the country. This year, we supported the Ontario Economic Corporation to develop new tourist, heritage and cultural circuits in the form of podcasts in the regions of Thousand Islands, of niagara And of Windsor-Essex.

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Source: Discovery Podcast

And what will happen in the year 2024?

As we close this reflection on our 2023 retrospective, the Touriscope team is more than eager to lead new projects with the industry in 2024. In the cards, exciting topics await us: support for sustainable tourism, valorization of indigenous tourism, analysis of public transport needs in remote regions, analysis of the potential of cooperatives in tourism, marketing projects and brand image, creation of strategic knowledge tools, etc. Enough to share with you great thoughts throughout the year!

A growing number of travelers want to discover destinations in an authentic and concrete way. To do this, they are interested in the culture and heritage of the place and go to meet the local population. The current experiential tourism trend, which many players in the tourism industry are capitalizing on to attract millennial travelers, is also affecting customers in other age categories. Among the profiles of the Destination Canada Explorer Quotient is that of fans of authentic experiences, a clientele mostly aged 55 and over. Developed according to their social values, this market segmentation makes it possible to better target these travelers, to know which products interest them and to guide sales and marketing activities more effectively. In addition, current trends in experiential tourism make it possible to identify products that are attractive to these travelers.

Who are they?

What images should you convey on your communication channels?

The main images should be focused on the experience herself. Show visitors having this experience so the customer can imagine themselves in their shoes. Ensure that the people and events you photograph are natural and staged without exaggeration.

Images should tell a story, evoke emotions, and align with the key selling point of your organization or experience. Fans of authentic experiences love photos that demonstrate the tranquility of the place, suggesting that they are not very busy and that they can visit them at their own pace. Small restaurants or local festivals where travelers are mixed with locals arouse their interest.

Don't forget the supporting images, smaller in size, focused on elements that put the experience into context. Put service providers or residents in the spotlight, interacting with travelers. Also, opt for images of natural environments that are not very busy since nature observation activities also attract these travelers.

Ensure that your promotions appeal to the values of your customers

— They have the financial capacity to pay for extras. Do not offer them discounts, but rather a privilege, such as a meeting with a local personality, an apprenticeship workshop, a pass to a historical exhibition, etc.

— These travelers have little interest in “conspicuous consumption”, but appreciate the quality. Offer them high-end promotions (like an upgrade to a superior room).

Three tips for creating an authentic experience

1. Ask yourself the right questions and use appropriate language

Two essential questions will guide you in thinking about creating an experience:

— Who does your customer want to become or what is their transformational need?

— How can my organization help them get there?

Your products, but also your marketing messages should reflect the language associated with experiences: discoveries, emotions, encounters, stories, surprises, sincere intentions (authenticity), memorability, learning, accomplishment, etc.

2. Appeal to residents and present them as experts in local life

Highlight the offer of residents who provide recommendations for visits off the beaten path and who share their personal stories.

Best practice: the Western Swedish Tourism Board has created a platform that brings together the experiences offered by residents: Meet the locals

3. Focus on your culinary offer

The numerous television programs that combine culinary discoveries and travel, such as those of the late chef Anthony Bourdain, influence consumers to have these same experiences while traveling. Give greater visibility to your culinary offer, your agrotourism and gourmet tourism activities.

Good practice: in the United States, night markets have emerged in recent years and have become very popular: Night Market Philadelphia, Atlanta International Night Market, OC Night Market.

Finally, to promote your experiences in foreign markets, submit a request to the Tourism Industry Alliance to integrate the collection of distinctive Canadian experiences from Destination Canada. It's a great way to reach people who love authentic experiences.

For more tips on how to target these travelers:

Explorer Quotient Profiles

Explorer Quotient Toolkit 

   See also our article The ABC of a seduction operation with residents.
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This customer segment, eager for authentic experiences, is a source of opportunities: potential ambassadors, loyal customers, off-season visitors, etc. How to attract them?

The inseparables of a successful customer experience

On Wednesday, February 19, I participated in the Desjardins Lab lunchtime conference organized by the innovation coach Joyce Bouchard. A conference that particularly appealed to me. An outstanding popularizer, Ms. Bouchard deconstructed and demystified all these approaches one by one before showing us how they could be integrated into our strategic thinking.

Here is what I learned from it, hoping it inspires you too!

Its leitmotif: all these practices can coexist and be adopted. Why are we seeing them more and more now? Because we no longer have the choice to integrate them if we want to adequately meet the needs of an ever more demanding clientele. People now have a central place in all the products and experiences we create. These approaches create precisely this opportunity to get closer to our customers in order to offer them something that has this ultimate value: meaning.

During her conference, Ms. Bouchard gave us a 101 course on these innovative approaches before explaining their relevance to any reflection.

1-Understand the origin

(Attention, scholars, do not jump to the ceiling. Explanations (express)

• Design Thinking: comes from the industrial design sector. The objective is to create new objects that perfectly meet customer expectations.

• Agility: comes from the technologies and limitations of traditional project management in waterfall mode. The problem came from the fact that we planned for the long term and that we ended up delivering a product that no longer met the customer's needs at all, several weeks/months/years later.

• Lean Six Sigma: comes from the manufacturing sector. The objective was to eliminate waste on the production chain and to implement a continuous improvement process in order to successfully deliver a quality and standardized product.
  

2- Solve a problem and provide an adapted solution

All these approaches aim to respond to problems and to find appropriate solutions. They are completely complementary as soon as we wonder about the best way to proceed and deliver a product (or service) that best meets customer expectations. They start from one principle: the customer is part of the solution. Sometimes called practices, approaches, methods, they are above all ways of thinking that involve questioning and actively examining responses.

You just need to know how to use the right approach at the right time! So what do they really allow?

• Design Thinking: is meant to be creative! Like an ethnologist, we try to understand what the client is thinking and feeling. The aim is to design new products or services, eliminating irritants. It's about generating ideas, leaving the status quo behind. Co-creation is the key word where nothing is done without the customer. We explore, we create, we propose, we question, we prototype and we experiment.

• Agility: focuses on the delivery of service to the customer. Team work is essential. We think together about the value created and all the solutions that could improve the final product or service. It is an incremental process where the product is built as you go. We therefore allow ourselves to learn by progressing in order to perfect our product and our practices.

• Lean Six Sigma: focuses on the process, that is, on how things are done internally. The aim is to reduce waste and unnecessary steps as much as possible in order to be as efficient as possible. We are committed to continuous improvement where we are constantly looking for added value for the customer.‍

3- A concrete example: the queue

Nothing better than a simulation to understand not only how these approaches can be intertwined, but above all to become aware of their usefulness for those who want to create a memorable experience for their customers, free of any irritants that would have the opposite effect of what you wanted at the beginning.

The problem? A queue that is too long for a one-day X event and customers are getting impatient.

The first thing to do to prevent this situation from happening again is to put yourself fully in the visitor's shoes, to understand exactly what they are going through and the emotions they are feeling at each stage (or minute that goes by). You have to completely rethink the experience beforehand.

In your team, you must think together about the problem posed by this experience (which you did not necessarily anticipate and which may have previously unsuspected consequences). Indeed, waiting can become a serious irritant (impatience, discomfort, etc.) and cause your customer to feel upset, angry, lost or abandoned. While he could very well feel happy, safe, helped, or pleasantly surprised.

In this exercise, each approach has its place. Just a question of prioritization... and common sense!

• The priority is naturally to redesign the queue experience, as it is currently seriously affecting the experience that the visitor must experience next during the event. We then use Design Thinking. We prototype (Does the queue have to be one-sided? Is it wide enough? Is it safe? Can we add distracting elements?) and we created different versions of the perfect queue to see what the best option would be.

• Then, you have to deliver the product and this is where agile processes make sense in order to break down the project and ensure its delivery. Here, we will improve small things in the queue: the colors of the carpet, the scents in the air, the animations, the water points, the benches, etc. The important thing is to set up an iterative process (we build as we get feedback) to ensure that the customer is satisfied with each progress (we test the ideas!). We observe the reactions of our visitors, we gather their opinion, we are interested in their emotions... and we adjust.

• We've finally found the perfect queue experience and we want to replicate it for each of our products and upcoming events. Lean Six Sigma is taking over. We ensure that the management of this experience is as healthy as possible and as effective as possible (management of costs, waste, deadlines, resources, materials, etc.).

Across all industries, we are increasingly interested in these approaches because they make it possible to put the end customer at the center of all decisions. The tourism industry is no exception. All business sectors are facing the same challenges: an increasingly demanding and unfaithful customer. This reality requires us to go above and beyond in the way we design our products and services in order to offer our visitors an experience that makes sense to them and for which they will come back to us.

More than simple problem-solving techniques, they are the foundation of modern working methods, and not to mention... the inseparable elements of a successful customer experience.

Do you want to discuss these approaches with us? Write to me.

To (re) see the Video of the conference.

Where to find them and how to seduce them?

The main obstacles to their establishment are: language, finding a job, and the cumbersome immigration process. It was in response to these challenges that the government decided to ease the burden and create programs to encourage them to stay.

- Get closer to programs and platforms I am staying in Quebec, I choose Montreal(Greater Montreal), Quebec in the lead (Quebec Region) and of course the Quebec Tourism Human Resources Council (CQRHT) and the new website My job in tourism to discover student testimonies, events and find partners.
- Highlight your job offers at universities, colleges and sites dedicated to international students such as Job Bank.gc.ca.
- Organize events to make yourself known on their premises and during special events.
- Integrate discussion forums such as forum.immigrer.com for the French.
- Invest in international job fairs or collaborate with Acces Études Québec, which organize performances in some salons.

Is it complicated to hire them?

No, as long as they carefully check the validity of their permit, respect the employment conditions and pay attention to the exact expiry date of their study and work permits. If the expiry date is near, encourage them to start the work permit application process. Be aware that if the person has not obtained their work permit even though their study permit has expired, their status becomes “temporary.” He can continue to work for you until he gets his work permit, but he cannot leave Canada (he will be refused entry at customs when he returns). From a hypothetical contract of 20 hours per week, he could then become a full-time employee later.

Who are they and where do they come from?

The French represent 40% of foreign students in Quebec universities. The other origins of the French-speaking countries present: 82% of Tunisians, 70% of Moroccans and 64% of Senegalese studying in Canada have chosen a Quebec institution.

Why are they coming to Canada? What are the factors of competitiveness?

Why bet on this market and invest in hiring them?

The study permit allows flexibility in terms of hours worked. If the student is enrolled full-time, he can work in parallel with his studies. He can complete an internship of several months or work up to 20 hours/week.

After graduation, they can stay in the country thanks to several long-term visa and work permit options. Often, the delay in their study allows them to start an application for permanent residence.

Ce Work permit as a common-law partner (granted thanks to their partner's study permit) gives them the opportunity to enter the job market more easily and to acquire a first work experience in Quebec.

While tourism players often put more effort into attracting travelers from outside, locals are attracting more and more of their attention. Indeed, this category of visitors brings opportunities: potential ambassadors, loyal customers, off-season visitors, etc. How to attract them?

In the specialized magazine Space, Jean-Luc Boulin defines a tenant as “an inhabitant [who] discovers an unusual place or activity [...] outside his usual environment” although close to home.

In 2018, the Tourism Monitoring Network presented residents as an underestimated clientele, an observation that was still accurate until recently. Indeed, many tourist authorities contacted them for the first time in their COVID-19 recovery strategies, when they already represented a high proportion of the traffic of several operators. So here is a proposed approach for your major seduction operation!

Understand their motivations

The first thing to do to attract local customers is to understand their motivations, especially in the post-pandemic context. So, through its campaign creation process, Visit Greenland, identified three motivations behind the Staycation :

— The search for a deeper connection with the place where we live;
— Solidarity with its fellow citizens: either to support local businesses and jobs;
— Meet family and friends you haven't seen in a long time.

In general, locatourism is looking for strong experiences that take it out of its daily life. This is a particularly topical observation after the trying lockdown this spring.

These motivations should serve as a basis for continuing your approach.

Review your offer

Then, it is necessary to take a step back to analyze your offer.

1. How do local customers perceive your destination, your establishment and your offer?

‍As Jean-Luc Boulin puts it well, “The activities consumed are not necessarily the same for a tourist and a resident. A distant visitor is eager to make the essentials. As for the inhabitant, he tests new activities, places that are unknown to him [...] provided that they are desirable to him.”

So, first ask yourself if the locals know you, if they are already interested in your offer, or if they perceive it negatively (too expensive, not addressed to them, etc.). For example, Visit Greenland worked with operators in its territory to adapt the offer, which was perceived as too expensive by residents.

To get an idea, you can ask around you or even conduct a homemade survey with free tools on social networks or SurveyMonkey for a more representative sample.

2. What are the needs of this new target clientele?

‍Next, ask yourself what renters are looking for. For example, is it a fun day out with the kids? Relaxing as a couple? Indeed, renters are looking for the possibility of registering at the last minute, a duration of service and adapted prices. So, do you need to adapt your offer for these new customers?

See also our article on Fans of authentic experiences: what are they looking for and how do you attract them?

A good example, Open Tour Paris, which organizes guided bus tours, has developed a new thematic tour for children (a new audience) and a shorter package at a reduced price offered exclusively to residents of the region. This approach can be adopted for a wide variety of products and contexts, both rural and urban.

3. How do you trigger the decision to visit your destination or establishment?

The challenge for many will be to trigger the decision to visit today since for the resident, there is no hurry, you will still be there tomorrow (we hope so!). Here are a few tips.

Time-limited events and products

As already mentioned, renters are looking for exceptional moments. With one-off events, you give a reason to return to those who have already come, and for others the opportunity to discover you!

For example, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Virginia organizes meals on Friday evenings in summer. On occasion, Domaine Forget offers courses of yoga in his garden. The New Brunswick Botanical Garden presents music shows in summer. Three municipalities in Charlevoix are organizing a family rally by car. The ideas are endless: movie screenings, themed animations, exhibitions, special guests, limited-time packages, temporary news on the menu, etc.

The packages

Experiences offered by partners can be combined in the form of classic packages such as that of Rome Historic Site that coordinates accommodation, meals and activities of different providers, or can be integrated into your product as Nordic attitude. The company combines its outdoor activities with the tasting of local products from partners.

Privileges

Another option is to grant privileges to a partner's customers. The Village Historique Acadien followed this path by partnering with the Caraquet Acadian Festival. All show ticket holders will be offered a family pass to the historic village. A great approach for the local population to become ambassadors to their visiting loved ones.

Communicate!

Finally, all you have to do is communicate your offer.

See also our 6 simple marketing tips to bounce back during a pandemic!

To be effective, your messages must appeal to the motivations of the potential customer. And take into account his sensitivities. Among other things, the resident wants to be considered differently from a tourist.

And to reach the target, you must place your communications where the target consumes information. Suggestions include sending printed material by mail rather than self-service to the tourist information office, advertising on local radio, press releases to local media, email marketing, and social media posts.

This is what three contiguous territories in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec do. They developed A campaign addressed to residents within a radius of 40 km, and sent them a guide to Road Trip foodies by post, a first!

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Opportunities within your reach

Approaching new customers therefore requires a review of their habits. But it's worth the effort, as residents have the potential for repeat visits in the off-season. Various surveys still show today that many people plan to stay with family and friends. Hence the importance of attracting residents who can become your ambassadors to their visiting loved ones.

In addition, frequenting your establishment by locals makes the experience more authentic, a value that is increasingly sought after for tourists... when they return!

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Our selection of articles to go further

Consulting residents: a must! To guide tourism development and to assess their perception in order to ensure the social acceptability of activities.

Fans of authentic experiences, What are they looking for and how do you attract them?

6 simple marketing tips to bounce back during a pandemic

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Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

Two out of three Maritime residents plan to travel for pleasure in the next two months. On average, they will leave two to three times for stays of one to five nights. This is despite the fact that eight out of ten people are concerned about the COVID-19 situation in their province.

This is what an online survey conducted by Touriscope from July 20 to 26 last year among 200 residents of Nova Scotia (59%), New Brunswick (24%) and Prince Edward Island (17%) revealed to us for the benefit of Experience Acadia.

2020 a year apart: impacts of the pandemic on travel intentions

Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on respondents' vacation plans. In the following graphs, we can guess that the constantly changing context, in particular health measures and border closures, is causing uncertainty as much for the decision to take a vacation as when to leave and the destination chosen. Note that less than 15% of people report financial constraints affecting their vacation plans.
A majority (63%) still plan to leave at least one night by the end of September. On average, they will make two to three stays. More than a third of travelers want to leave this fall or winter. As for next year, a majority are waiting for the crisis to stabilize to plan a vacation (39%) or have no idea what their plans will look like (32%). Only 20% are sure they want to travel in 2021.

Maritime residents were also asked about their interest in visiting the various Acadian destinations by the end of September 2020. Cape Breton and Southwestern Nova Scotia attract a lot of travelers (28% and 20% respectively). However, it should be noted that residents of this province accounted for 59% of the sample. Prince Edward Island is in 2nd place in terms of travel intentions with 25% of those surveyed.

What will their stay be like?

Only respondents intending to have at least one trip by September answered the following questions. The budget for the longest stay varies greatly. The average is $851 per stay.

The preferred means of travel are cars (93%), planes (10%), buses and trains (9%), recreational vehicles (4%) and bicycles (2%).

Respondents' accommodation preferences are more mixed. The hotel is the most popular choice (43%), while camping comes in 2nd place. Although 30% of respondents consider lodging establishments to be places to avoid because of the pandemic, 78% of them should stay in hotels, motels and other forms of traditional accommodation (cottages, hostels, B&Bs).

It should also be noted that 30% of respondents will visit friends or family and that 20% will take the opportunity to spend the night there. Hence the importance of attracting this clientele who then has the potential to act as an ambassador for your destination or establishment to their visiting loved ones.

For their longest stay, Maritimes residents will travel as a couple (43%), as a family with (26%) or without children (10%), alone (13%), or as a group (8%).

National parks (53%), hiking (39%), biking (22%), and wildlife viewing (22%) will be the most popular activities.

Nearly half of travelers will eat out (48%), but just as many say they want to avoid indoor rooms due to the pandemic. They will also avoid busy beaches (67%) and group activities (58%).

To conclude

We therefore remember that despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, an encouraging proportion of Maritimes residents should stay for pleasure in the coming months.

As the manager of a business or organization promoting a destination, it is essential to adapt your communications and your offer to more local customers since people will make trips shorter and closer to home. If you succeed, they will then act as your ambassadors to their visiting loved ones. Do not hesitate to talk about nearby activities, since your potential visitors are interested in them.

Keep in mind that the needs and attitudes of travelers will be strongly affected by the context of the pandemic in the coming year. It is important to find a balance between promoting tourism without neglecting the safety of visitors and host communities.

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

As climate variations occur more clearly season after season, scientists and tourism professionals are sounding the alarm and calling for a radical change in practices. If managers are globally Sensitive When asked, many still feel confused about the measures to be adopted. Concretely, how do you go about it? Here are a few examples of successful coping.

Rethinking models

Increased rainfall, reduced snow cover, or changes in the length of seasons make outdoor activities particularly vulnerable to climate change. In order to cope with new temperatures, operators are questioning the relevance of traditional models. As a result, the winter season is condensed and more events and related activities are offered over a shorter period of time. The pricing is also being redesigned. A single ticket can provide access to a variety of experiences and if the equipment allows, visitors can even change activities in the middle of their day.

Recognizing that the variability of snow conditions threatens the quality of the winter offer, Prat Peyrot ski resort of the Aigoual Massif, in France, has undertaken to convert itself into a multi-season ecostation. Resulting from an exchange between local elected officials and professionals, the process is intended to be participatory and integrates the considerations of experts, citizens, government bodies, visitors and the tourism industry. By 2020, the entire territory should be multi-activity and host a 5 km discovery trail, but also mountain biking, hiking and snowshoeing trails, interpretation circuits and an orienteering course.

In a context where every action taken by the industry can have an impact on host environments, the very purpose of the activities can be broadened. Thus, while camping is certainly associated with a moment of relaxation, the Camping Québec association sees it as an opportunity to make visitors aware of sustainable development. By joining forces with the NPO Sans Trace Canada, Camping Canada has put in place a code of conduct to minimize the impact of the activity on the environment and to introduce campers to responsible tourism. The syllabus is based on seven main principles:

The 7 Traceless Principles

- Get ready and plan
- Use sustainable surfaces
- Manage waste properly
- Leave what you find intact
- Minimize the impact of fires
- Respect wildlife
- Respect other users

Suggest an alternative offer

Climate change threatens the relative stability of the weather, which is necessary for strategic planning. To counter this reality and ensure visitor satisfaction, regardless of temperatures, the Enchanting estate, in Mauricie, offers a wide variety of activities. While the initial offer consisted of a network of icy trails in the woods, difficult to maintain in case of warm weather, the estate now offers experiences that are less vulnerable to the whims of Mother Nature: snowshoeing, an animal park, an animal park, a hebertism course, a hiking trail, a suspended labyrinth or even a ride on a small train.

Agrotourism also uses the diversification of the offer to compensate for the shortening of tourist seasons. The Domaine Labranche, a maple grove in Montérégie that has received numerous awards, also has an orchard and produces wine and various alcohols. The owners have applied the sugar shack concept to offer related dining experiences: the “Apple Cabin” and the “Holiday Cabin”. By adopting this strategy, the Domaine can now welcome visitors over three seasons (winter, spring and autumn).

In the same vein, the station of Bromont ski, which now takes the name Bromont, mountain of experiences, offers activities throughout the year in order to ensure a constant presence of visitors on the mountain. Skiing in winter, mountain biking all year round and a water park in summer, the resort also relies on events to show its dynamism and position itself as the reference in outdoor activities.

Supporting innovation

Resulting from a partnership between various experts in the tourism industry and climate change research, the Living Lab Laurentides is managed by Tourisme Laurentides. The objective is to support projects that propose measures to mitigate the consequences of climate change and minimize the emission of greenhouse gases, but also to explore proactive options leading to a transformation of the business practices of all players in the industry. To date, three projects have already integrated the Laurentides Living Lab.

Le P'tit Train du Nord Linear Park

The Living Lab is supporting the managers of Le P'tit Train du Nord to research different flooring options for bike paths. Based on international best practices, the analysis should lead to the use of recycled or vegetable materials for a cycle path that better tolerates episodes of heat and heavy rains. Throughout the process, experts, but also users, will be consulted.

City of Saint-Sauveur

During peak tourist periods, many visitors flock in motorized vehicles to downtown Saint-Sauveur. While significantly increasing greenhouse gas emissions, this situation threatens the quality of life of residents as well as the experience of travelers. The Living Lab is supporting the City of Saint-Sauveur in setting up a free electric bus shuttle system. Visitors and residents are invited to park their vehicles on the outskirts of downtown and to use this more responsible mode of transport.

Adapting trails

While the Mont-Tremblant Station, the City of Mont-Tremblant and the Montagne du Diable Regional Park simultaneously saw the quality of their hiking trails threatened by new climatic realities, the Living Lab brought them together under the same project. The objective is to identify development options in order to fight against the erosion of tracks and infrastructures due to heavy rains, but also to strengthen the safety of users and the protection of the environment.

These inspiring initiatives mitigate the inevitable nature of climate change by focusing on proactivity, partnership, adaptation and innovation. And you, what actions have you already put in place?

To go further on the subject, here is a selection of our articles:
3 strategies to better promote your sustainable practices and offers: Today's travelers are looking for sustainable deals, but often lack information. Here are 3 strategies: adopt a clear positioning, package the offer and obtain certification.‍

Pandemic and sustainable tourism: why and how to make your organization evolve in 5 steps:58% of consumers care more about the environment now than before the pandemic. Trends, challenges and advice to finally take action.

Analysis written by Camille Derelle Aubut and originally published on the site of Tourism monitoring network

He set up a “green” supply chain in the form of a web platform.

When asked about the reasons that prevented them from buying local products and offering them to their customers, hoteliers and restaurateurs in Slovenia identified two major ones. First, it was a question of costs, considering local products too expensive, and second, because they considered the procurement process too complex.

Wishing to fully assume its status as” Green capital ” of Europe, one of the ambitions of the city of Ljubljana was to find solutions so that the tourist industry could take advantage of the wealth of regional products available in abundance.

The solution came from Ljubljana Tourism. During the development of its tourism development strategy 2014-2020, one of the main observations about its positioning as an ecological destination was the absence of a “green” supply chain. To achieve this, we had to find a way to build this ecological reputation of hotel restaurants by helping them meet the criteria of the various eco-labels recognized by consumers. To obtain these certifications (for example Travel Life, Ecolabel, Green Key, Bio Hotels, Green Globe, etc.), establishments needed to gain access to local suppliers and their local products.

In 2015, Ljubljana Tourism therefore initiated a pilot project entitled: Green Supply Chains, in partnership in particular withInstitute Factory of Sustainable Tourism and the Jarina organization, which is the Slovenian Rural Development Cooperative. The objective of Green Supply Chains consists of increasing the proportion of food and drinks available in hotels and restaurants in and around Ljubljana.

The project was implemented in such a way as to allow tourism businesses to be able to buy a wide range of products, all prepared locally and accessible through a single online, centralized and easy-to-use platform. Through this one-stop shop, hoteliers and restaurateurs were offered simple and direct access to local farmers and vice versa. The Rural Development Cooperative acts as an intermediary by representing its members and ensures that competitive prices are negotiated for both parties. The products are delivered directly to tourist businesses.

The initiative was very successful, extending in 2017 to the entire region of Central Slovenia, connecting the capital to 25 additional municipalities. A total of 28 farms participate in this supply chain, which delivers more than 13 tons of local products to the five restaurants and three hotels that have signed a commercial contract (six other establishments are in the process of joining).

This networking with the agricultural sector has made the tourist industry aware of the importance of offering regional products, especially in an urban and cultural destination such as Ljubljana. This partnership not only makes it possible to promote the culinary identity of the city, but also meets the demand of tourist customers who want to consume authentic products.

For tourism players, the presence of such a structured supply chain becomes the best possible solution to a major challenge: the constant availability of resources to meet the requirements of a regular menu of a gastronomic table.

It should be noted that the distribution of Jarina cooperative products is not limited to the tourism sector. It initially developed its network of partnerships with daycares, schools and retirement homes. This marketing model put in place by Jarina has evolved in various forms over a period of 12 years.

This network between the agricultural and tourism sectors did not take place in isolation. This initiative was the result of a wider desire on the part of Slovenia, which set itself the goal of becoming a 100% green destination. This institutional will has paved the way and made it possible to make possible numerous projects such as the Green Supply Chains, based on the Slovenian sustainable development model. In fact, a manual addressing the important aspects of marketing the “Slovenia Green” brand has been published as a tool to help tourism businesses.

Quebec is no different from other destinations with a high agrotourism potential. There is a challenge to provide simple, affordable and constant access to the resources of local producers. While the demand for local, authentic products with a low ecological footprint will only increase, this type of initiative can certainly serve as a source of inspiration.

Article originally published on the site of Tourism monitoring network.

Look to the sky

As cities continue to grow, the light pollution that accompanies this phenomenon no longer allows urban populations to fully enjoy the beauty of a starry sky. For city residents, observing the stars is now a luxury reserved for vacation time and the Milky Way has become a tourist product in its own right. Thus, nature destinations offer more and more unique products where adventure, discovery and new cultural experiences are combined.

In Nova Scotia, the Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site bears the official title of Dark Sky Reserve (RCE) awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. This recognition guarantees visitors a unique viewing experience, regardless of the time of year. The park is committed to working to protect and enhance the visibility of the sky on its territory, to raise awareness of the effects of light pollution and to develop interpretive activities. An astronomical tool kit is available for rent, fireside shows and stories attest to the strong presence of the stars in Aboriginal legends, and nocturnal canoe trips allow for stargazing with a guide.

While the aurora borealis and exceptional nocturnal panoramas offer an opportunity for unique experiences, dusk also presents a spectacle that allows tourist destinations to stand out. The village of Kamouraska, in Quebec, is thus regularly awarded the prize for the most beautiful sunset in Canada by visitors and professionals in the tourism industry. In 2016, the Bas-Saint-Laurent region chose to integrate the phenomenon into its promotional campaign by launching two competitions. The first, “Prescription of a Sunset” allowed Internet users to send one of the six sunset photos taken on the territory to their friends in need of vacations or vitamin D. The second, “The Great Sunset Hunt”, rewarded the best shot taken in the region at dusk.

Venture into the heart of the night

Exploring nature at night promotes a deep immersion in the environment, invites you to recharge your batteries and facilitates the encounter with wildlife that is discreet during the day.

An excellent way to take a different look at a territory, night safaris attract visitors who want to discover the nocturnal habits of animals. In Saint Thomas, one of the United States Virgin Islands, a transparent bottom kayak excursion is offered by the Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort. Equipped with LED lights, curious people who wish to observe marine fauna after sunset are supervised by a paddleboard guide who explains the specificities of the local ecosystem and introduces them to ecological values. Attracted by the light, tarpons, rays and turtles like to come and greet their nocturnal visitors.

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In Colorado, Lakota Guides, a company specialized in adventure tourism, offers a rafting trip with night vision goggles. Participants can thus experience the thrills of the activity, enhanced by the darkness, but also observe the stars, flora and animals that live along the Colorado River. The use of night vision allows the company to stand out thanks to a unique experience, at the crossroads between the exploration of nature and the use of new technologies.

Discover the local culture

Although remote from major centers, natural environments are not devoid of cultural traces. At night, a presentation of local traditions brightens the day for outdoor enthusiasts, offering them a global discovery of the territory.

Parks Canada offers inspiring activities to discover, by night, the cultural treasures of its various national parks. This is the case in particular at Kouchibouguac National Park, in New Brunswick. Outdoor theater, Mi'kmaq legends told in a wigwam or evenings of traditional Acadian stories around the fire are all activities offered to campers to liven up their evenings and introduce them to the different cultures of the region.

Another essential cultural experience in nature, the activity Foresta Lumina Illuminate every summer evening the Coaticook Gorge Park. By taking the multimedia trail, visitors plunge into a wonderful world and discover the characters who inhabit the legends of the park. A huge success, the animation attracted 156,000 visitors in 2016 and received numerous awards, especially internationally.

Thus, the characteristic remoteness of natural areas allows them to stand out from the urban tourist offer. The view of a clear sky and a deeply dark night plunges the visitor into a particular atmosphere, allowing developers to exploit a natural event to promote their brand image.

   Don't miss our article on New pricing strategies for attractions.
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After decades of setting a single admission price and maintaining it all year round, attractions are taking ownership of revenue management models common in the airline and hotel industries, such as dynamic pricing and loyalty programs.

The enthusiasm for expedition cruises, the improvement of the welcome in ports of call and the recreational tourism development of waterways are three major trends in maritime and river tourism over the last two years.

Expedition cruises, a trendy niche

According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the growing popularity of Nordic destinations is among the major trends in the cruise industry. Customers, attracted by the Nordic experience, are looking for adventure cruises, even extreme ones. During the last edition of the largest annual event organized by the industry, Seatrade Cruise Global, airlines announced a significant increase in demand for cruise expeditions. Combining adventure, discovery and learning, these are carried out on board ships smaller than their ocean cousins. They dock in smaller ports, located in regions off the beaten track, such as the Canadian Arctic, Greenland or Alaska.

This offer is attracting a growing number of well-off travelers who are concerned about the environment and looking for transformational and experiential trips, as noted by CLIA. To meet demand, 26 ships are under construction, according to Cruise Industry News, both for established companies and for new players, the best known being Celebrity Cruises, Silversea, Hurtigruten, Hurtigruten, Quark Expeditions or Ponant. The latter plans to double its fleet by 2021, to have 12 expedition ships, including the world's first luxury icebreaker. As for Hurtigruten, a company present on the St. Lawrence River, in 2019 it will launch the first two hybrid ships of a new generation (see image below), which will be considered among the most environmentally friendly.

Among destinations, Alaska has been very popular among customers and companies for several years. Visited not only by expedition boats, but also by meganships that can carry up to 5,000 passengers, the region welcomed a record number of 41 ships and over 995,000 passengers in 2017. This popularity could very well spread to other Nordic destinations.

Destinations improve the reception of stopover passengers

Port authorities and host cities are stepping up their efforts to improve the experience of passengers visiting their destination. Based on the observation that cruise ship employees are regularly asked by their customers to find out about the tourist offer in the Norwegian city of Oslo, the organization Oslo Cruise Partners has produced a manual for them. The printout includes practical information, discount coupons, and freebies to improve the visiting experience for both passengers and crew members who want to explore the city.

For its part, the port of Aarhus, in Denmark, has chosen to welcome cruise passengers with a team of 1,300 volunteer local hosts. Wearing a blue sweater and a badge showing the inscription Ask me (Ask me), these residents guide cruise passengers through the city and attend cultural events with them.

The Nanaimo Port Authority on Vancouver Island has established a similar welcome policy for cruise passengers, the White Glove Service, in order to eliminate irritants during their visit. For example, a golf cart service takes people with reduced mobility to the terminal where they pass through customs. A free shuttle, offered to passengers and crew members, runs continuously throughout the day and stops at four points of interest. Volunteers, wearing identifiable clothing, are present along the route taken by the shuttle to answer questions and make recommendations for visits. According to the port authority, the new reception standards are based on the quality of the service of volunteers, proud ambassadors of their community and their region.

In Quebec, welcoming residents at ports of call on the St. Lawrence is the main factor in passenger satisfaction, according to a Ministry of Tourism study published in 2017. But reception is also a very present issue, due to the lack of financing for activities and the shortage of manpower.

Recreational and tourist development of watercourses

In North America as in Europe, cities and territories are committed to the tourist revitalization of their waterways and shores. They adopt a collaborative approach in order to promote the emergence of innovative projects. Last spring, New York State launched the “Reimagining the Canal” competition (Reimagine the Canals Competition) in order to visionary transform the State's network of canals into a source of economic and tourism development. Among the projects selected last May, Go the Distance aims to provide accommodation for boaters, Canal Winterlocks will allow winter activities to be organized on the Erie Canal and Intra-Works will offer art and sculpture installations aimed at forging a cultural identity for the canal network.

In France, the organization responsible for the tourist and cultural development of the Loire River estuary created the brand Estuary land, the Loire for all the senses, last spring. This initiative was created in order to promote 60 kilometers of shoreline and to group the tourist and cultural offers of the destination into thematic packages.

Quebec City launched its future development plan for the main rivers in its territory through an international competition of ideas in May 2017. Among other things, the plan will be used to highlight recreational tourism activities throughout the year on the Cap Rouge, Saint-Charles, Beauport and Montmorency rivers. The projects of the three winners of the competition Let's dream our rivers will guide municipal authorities in the development and implementation of a master plan to achieve several objectives, including:

- Improve the accessibility of rivers, while maintaining their quality;
- Exceed recreational limits and enjoy the four seasons;
- Strengthen citizens' sense of ownership of rivers and their surrounding environments;
- Link existing and future recreational tourism facilities;
- Highlighting culture and heritage.

These global trends, present both in Quebec and internationally, demonstrate the importance of the maritime and river sectors in the tourism industry.

Article originally published on the site of Tourism monitoring network

In fact, according to a survey conducted by Booking.com among 18,000 international travelers, 71% of them want more sustainable travel choices from businesses. The same proportion would be more likely to book a hotel knowing that it is eco-responsible.

However, many obstacles remain to the realization of these trips, such as the lack of information provided by companies about their sustainable practices and offers. The challenge for them is then to make themselves better known. To do this, three strategies can be used:

The examples below are intended in particular for destination promotion organizations, tour operators and incoming agencies. This article is inspired by a conference that I had the pleasure of giving at the annual conference of the Association of Receiving Agencies and Forfaitistes du Québec.

1. Create a clear and distinctive positioning

Tour operators and receptive specialists in sustainable tourism have understood this well: to attract customers, gain their trust and retain them, it is necessary to have a clear positioning, consistent with their offer and distinct from their competitors. To illustrate this strategy, here is a non-exhaustive overview of tour operators and receptive specialists. Their brand name, logo and editorial line reflect this positioning. The keywords, used in their communications, are the promise of trips in the various spheres of sustainable tourism.

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However, even without being positioned in this niche, a company should not hesitate to make its sustainable initiatives known, as long as the communication is done transparently and without false promises.

2. Package the sustainable tourism offer

Enforcing the sustainable offer of a destination multiplies the chances of attracting travelers. The management organization for the Vanilla Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, has carried out a concerted and collaborative approach to create inter-island combinations promoting ecotourism, a form of sustainable tourism based on respect for the natural environment. After identifying the offer, it called for expressions of interest from receptive agencies present on each of the islands. They then met to create 22 packages, presented in particular on the website from the Vanilla Islands.

3. Get involved in a certification and labelling process

Sustainable tourism certifications allow businesses and destinations to be supported in implementing more sustainable practices. They also represent a guarantee of trust for visitors who see them as a guarantee of eco-friendly products and services. There are many labels and certifications, such as those of Travelife and Agir Pour un Tourisme Responsable, dedicated to tour operators or even those of EarthCheck and Green Destinations, for destinations. In Quebec, Aventure Écoturismo Québec offersEcotourism accreditation for activities in the natural environment of adventure tourism and ecotourism companies.

Communicating and marketing the sustainable tourism offer is essential, as travelers are still too poorly equipped to make an informed choice.

Whether you are a company committed to sustainable tourism or one that is already well positioned, remember that internal communication is also essential. Educate and train your front-line employees so they can promote your sustainable approach to visitors.

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To go further on the subject, here is a selection of our articles:

The climate is changing, and you? Adoption of new business models, diversification of supply and support for innovation... so many inspiring strategies to deal with the new realities associated with climate change.

Pandemic and sustainable tourism: why and how to make your organization evolve in 5 steps 58% of consumers care more about the environment now than before the pandemic. Trends, challenges and advice to finally take action.

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After decades of setting a single admission price and maintaining it all year round, major players in the theme park industry are adopting revenue management models common in the airline and hospitality industries, such as dynamic pricing and loyalty programs. This analysis reveals these trends applicable to all attractions, while first presenting the main pricing strategies of Quebec attractions.

Pricing strategies for Quebec attractions

In 2017, the Société des Attractions Touristères du Québec (SATQ) carried out an inventory of the pricing practices of its 177 member attractions. According to her, 41% used one rate for admission and another for additional activities or services. In contrast, only 11% of them did not require any fees.

Among the pricing strategies (excluding the simple rate) for attractions that require an admission fee, the sale of packages is the most common (57%), followed by seasonal passports (35%). Discount coupons and discounted pre-sale rates are the least preferred. As the SATQ notes, the higher the operating budget of attractions, the more attractions use such strategies.

Among the pricing strategies (excluding the simple rate) for attractions that require an admission fee, the sale of packages is the most common (57%), followed by seasonal passports (35%). Discount coupons and discounted pre-sale rates are the least preferred. As the SATQ notes, the higher the operating budget of attractions, the more attractions use such strategies.

Be inspired by the greats

Among the types of attractions, major theme parks are innovative in terms of pricing strategies. These changes are particularly noticeable among international groups. Any attraction, regardless of its size and type of offer, can be inspired by it and adapt these strategies to its context.

Disney, at a seasonal rate...

Since 2016, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World have offered a seasonal pricing structure for day tickets. The company offers three price ranges depending on the time of year, based on a fleet traffic forecasting model. For example, the highest range is used for the busiest days.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, which owns 18 parks in North America, including La Ronde in Montreal, has been using this strategy since 2012 in most of its parks. For online bookings, it offers discounts valid on the least busy days of the week.

The aim of this strategy, in addition to increasing revenue, is to better distribute the volume of visitors to the parks throughout the year and to reduce overcrowding during peak periods. This method also allows customers to know which days are less busy in order to get more out of their experience. In addition, by reducing the wait to board the rides, visitors have more time to spend at the various points of sale in the park.

In a study published in 2018, Atout France, the French Tourism Development Agency, recommends that leisure parks constantly change pricing. According to her, this strategy often allows for revenue gains of between 5 and 8%.

... at a dynamic rate (not a subtitle, just in bold)

Last October, Disney unveiled a strategy based on dynamic pricing that causes its rates to fluctuate according to the day of arrival and the length of stay. Here is a video presenting this new way of booking.

According to business intelligence firm Skift, it is likely that the company will continue to be inspired by airline industry practices by increasing prices as the arrival date approaches. By encouraging visitors to book well in advance of arrival or the day before they arrive, a park can more easily plan its activities.

Dynamic pricing is not without risks. Rising prices can cause customer dissatisfaction, especially among the most loyal customers.

Loyalty programs: a win-win strategy

Another change undertaken by major theme parks involves the addition of a paid loyalty program, which would eventually replace season passes and season passes. The one from Six Flags includes four levels, for a price ranging from $5.99 US to $16.99 US per month. It allows you to accumulate points in order to take advantage of benefits such as free parking, faster access to the rides, discounts at various points of sale in the park or even passes for a friend. The company recently enhanced its program by giving the opportunity to earn points by boarding a merry-go-round, attending a show, answering a survey or even sharing a post on social networks.

With this pricing strategy, Six Flags has access to multiple information on customer buying and visiting behavior, which allows it to offer more tools to promote customer retention. Another advantage mentioned by the company is the fact that members are less reluctant to see prices increase than the rest of the customer base.

Examples to follow for Quebec

Experts and specialized media agree that these new strategies will be increasingly present. This certainly requires investment, especially as the technology that makes it possible to refine these tactics and achieve better results can be expensive for some attractions. But these can follow suit as these innovations become more accessible.

There are plenty of other pricing tactics that are worth testing out. For example, at certain times of the year, the Granby Zoo offers a seasonal pass at the price of one ticket. These types of initiatives inevitably attract the attention of visitors and can increase attendance as well as loyalty!

Article originally published on the site of Tourism monitoring network

The pandemic, which will continue to affect visitors' decisions for the coming year, is forcing tourism operators to rethink their communication tools and practices. Anticipation of frequently asked questions, reassuring messages adapted to locals, online booking and flexible cancellation policies are among the essentials.

With international travel restrictions still in place, many Canadians won't be out in the sun this winter. For them, and for anyone who likes to plan their summer vacation in advance, staying close by will be the norm. It's up to you to take advantage of these opportunities. Fall is the perfect time to prepare your marketing actions.

1- Anticipate questions from your customers and reassure them

It is now more important than ever to anticipate the needs of your customers. They want to be reassured about your COVID-19 prevention measures and to know how their next visit will go. You must meet the expectations of your customers or risk losing them during planning or generating frustration and stress when they arrive.

Destination Think, a specialist in tourism marketing, suggests putting yourself in the shoes of potential visitors and then listing the questions they are probably asking. An exercise to do with your employees in contact with customers. A few tips on this subject:

- Write a message on the home page of your website or an FAQ, as did Kasa Kayak, an operator from Saint-Joseph de Madawaska, or some DMOs like Tourism Tofino. The website is the ideal tool for presenting detailed information.

- Recall the essentials in your confirmation emails.

- Update this information on all platforms where you are referenced (e.g. social media, Expedia, local tourism association, printed tools, etc.). On this subject, Google My Business has published A guide.

- Stay on the lookout for customer reviews on TripAdvisor, Google, Google, Facebook and online agency sites (Booking, Expedia). As advised eTourisme.info, it is important to answer them.

2- Adapt your photos and videos

As suggested Frédéric Gonzalo, digital marketing consultant, “we will have to rethink the choice of visuals used for our promotions, on the website, in our brochures and leaflets, etc.” This also applies to social media posts. So here are two things you should do.

Avoid showing groups of people without physical distance.

Here is just a Counterexample. Wearing a mask is mandatory on board Hornblower cruise ships in Niagara and capacity is reduced. However, the photos still show crowded boats and people without masks.

Demonstrate the application of health measures and the other impacts of COVID-19 on the experience offered.

In this respect, what does the Acadian Historical Village by Caraquet is interesting! Here is an example.

3- Offer online and direct booking

A majority of tourist operators have reduced their capacity in order to comply with public health instructions. However, your visitors do not want to be turned away due to lack of space. Booking not only helps avoid disappointments, but also queues.

In the following chart, we can see that a large majority of Canadians book generally or only online. Do you give them the opportunity?

Hotels have been offering this option for a long time. Offering an online booking platform facilitates communication with the customer. In addition, it allows them to change or cancel more easily than with an online travel agency (OTA). Today, more and more restaurants, attraction centers and campsites are establishing it. This is the case of Moncton Zoo, which now offers it through a partner, and Pays de la Sagouine, which has added online ticketing to its website.

4- Adapt your messages to residents

Local residents and tourists are bringing opportunities for the coming year, but they still need to be interested.

 Also read our article ABC of a seduction operation with residents.

In the Specialized magazine Espace, we learn that they often look for activities, businesses and different places that take them out of their daily lives. Find within your offer what best meets this target clientele and adapt your communication actions. The Ananas Project of the Greater Montreal Hotel Association targets Quebecers by promising them “unusual places” and “unsuspected assets”. A great example.

Don't forget to train your customer service employees on the new strengths to convey! Plus, locals want to be addressed as locals. For example, adapt the recommendations you make to them.

5- Adopt flexible cancellation policies

Security is at the top of consumers' concerns today, and this includes “the assurance that, if the trip cannot take place, the transaction is guaranteed with the flexibility of reimbursement or credit according to the customer's choice”, affirms Frédéric Gonzalo in A post on the end of lockdown era. Otherwise, you could lose sales, especially because of the filters that consumers can apply on OTAs.

This theme is currently very present in tourism news. Even some airlines are following this trend and are waiving ticket change fees.

6- Amplify the reach of your partners' campaigns

Promoting a destination is a team effort! Operators, you have every interest in sharing on your platforms the marketing campaigns of your tourism associations and other marketing partners with local, regional, national and sectoral expertise (and they, in keeping you informed) on your platforms. The more they are seen, the more results they will produce.

When publishing your own content, consider using Hashtags officials of your DMO. Below, we see how Acadian Peninsula Tourism uses the hashtags of the latest local, provincial and national campaigns.

And finally, do not hesitate to send your content, news and campaigns to these same associations, as did the aquarium above, so that they return the favor.

Hopefully this will allow you to bounce back better in the months to come! What are you going to start with?

 Also read our article ABC of a seduction operation with residents.

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

So, what can you do to highlight the culinary heritage of a destination and make it a real asset?

As part of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)'s Enriching the Canadian Experience program, the Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA) conducted research on the best practices of rural international destinations that are renowned for their gourmet tourism offerings. To support territories in promoting their culinary heritage, this article details the five priorities formulated by the CTA at the end of the study, with concrete examples in support of them. They have been selected for their relevance, but they do not necessarily come from the destinations under study.

Priority 1: Enhance cultures and support communities

The culinary heritage — products and know-how — is an integral part of the cultural offer of a destination. Gourmet tourism can therefore be used to promote local traditions, know-how as well as actors in food circuits. This promotion requires the recognition of all stakeholders in the agri-food sector: producers, processors, distributors, restaurant owners, etc. The promotion of products from short circuits also makes it possible to have a greater economic, social and environmental impact on the community.

Identify and communicate

Identifying products and putting faces on the people who create them is the choice made by the Estrie Bio-Food Industry Council with the distinctive certification. Flavor creators in Eastern Townships. The products of various food companies are labeled with the brand name and marketed in several grocery stores in the region. The campaign to display photos of producers in participating IGA shops is fully in line with this approach to promoting producers in the region and their food. The brand is also deployed in the restaurant industry with the “Complice Restaurants”, which highlight local products on their menu.

Transforming residents into local ambassadors

‍What could be more authentic than locals sharing their love for their culinary heritage? Putting residents at the heart of the promotion strategy and making them ambassadors is an increasingly common practice. This is the bet that Tourism Shawinigan made by launching the “Residents-Ambassadors” campaign in 2018, which invites residents to get involved in several ways. It led to the creation of a new welcome tool bringing together residents' tips and hidden treasures, especially those related to gastronomy.

See also the article The ABC of a seduction operation with residents for tips and tricks to attract this clientele.

Priority 2: Focus on the seasons in between

Gourmet tourism also means following seasonal cycles and extending the tourist season by developing an offer throughout the year.

Promote pick-your-own

Although it is mainly practiced by local customers, pick-your-own is an agrotourism activity that extends from spring to late autumn, depending on regions and products. Harvesting fruits and vegetables in the open air makes it possible to respond directly to various concerns: health measures of social distance due to COVID-19, lack of workforce for businesses and growing interest in buying local and short circuits. The harvesting experience can be complemented by other activities (visits, activities, workshops). Some producers even offer the possibility of coming during the winter to pick your fir tree, for example, or to collect frozen apples.

Organize thematic and seasonal events

What do the Shediac Lobster Festival (NB), the Grape Harvest Festival in Magog (QC) and the Kamouraska Forest Mushroom Festival (QC)? These are all thematic events that highlight a local product or a tradition rooted in a territory. They allow residents and visitors to meet and discover the local culinary heritage. Seasonal activities that are linked to a specific time of year are also popular. Integrated into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its gastronomy, Östersund, in Sweden, organizes a harvest festival every year. On this occasion, the farms open their doors to visitors with an educational objective, in order to create a link between the population, visitors and producers.

Priority 3: Develop quality experiences

To be trained

A quality experience should be memorable and distinctive for visitors. This requires a good understanding of their expectations and customer experience trends. In order to offer a unique product, you can call on specialists who offer thematic training on the customer experience (conferences, webinars, workshops, etc.). Are you a sectoral association or a destination management organization? Do not hesitate to let operators know about the resources that are already available to them (toolkits, grants, programs, etc.), especially by provincial tourism associations and Destination Canada. For example, Tourism Nova Scotia offers several programs such as RADIATE, which helps businesses create and market packages for visitors to the Maritimes.

Be recognized by a network

Becoming a member of an association or network recognized for the quality of the certification or the experiences offered is another way to promote culinary heritage and to distinguish yourself from competitors. For example, the ÉCONOMUSÉE network company makes it possible to bring together artisans who stand out, to promote their know-how while offering them support for development and marketing. The ÉCONOMUSÉE brand, recognized and used internationally, then became a showcase for the promotion of local products.

It is also entirely possible for companies to use or promote products from these networks without necessarily being part of them. The project ExcellenceNB encourages, for example, businesses to identify their locally made products or to collaborate with local suppliers. The association provides access to a brand image and a toolbox for operators, and it sells Excellence NB certified products in the webshop for individuals.

Priority 4: Strengthen collaboration and partnerships

Gourmet tourism is often the result of collaboration between government and industry. While it is essential for institutions to put in place measures to facilitate the development of gourmet tourism, it is just as interesting to promote collaboration between industry players to structure the offer.

Create networks and bring actors together

Whether using a gourmet certification, a brand (e.g.: Créateurs de Saveurs Cantons-de-l'Est) or a thematic circuit (e.g.: the circuits of Taste of Nova Scotia), bringing actors together around a project is a way of structuring the offer and making it known to visitors. Some circuits also integrate the satellite offer, which is often complementary, to the network in order to promote collaboratively. This is the case of Circuit du Paysan, in Montérégie, and of the Wine route Brome-Missisquoi with the “Friends of the Wine Route”.

Promote collaborations with other sectors of the industry

The local culinary heritage can also be enhanced through collaborations with other sectors of the industry such as accommodation or transport. In New Brunswick, the collaboration between the unusual accommodation company Cielo Glamping Maritime and the microbrewery CAVOK Brewing Co. led to the development of a lavender beer. Cielo Glamping Maritime harvested the lavender that grows near its domes to entrust it to the microbrewery, which made it a safe beer. The beer will be sold by both companies.

Priority 5: Showcase outdoor activities, nature and landscapes

The CTA study reveals that the natural environment and landscapes are the main factor in attracting visitors in the rural and remote destinations that were analyzed. Why not incorporate the discovery of culinary heritage into other outdoor activities?

The outdoors and gourmet tourism can be a perfect match! La Gourmet hike of Val-Saint-François is a good example. This 10 km guided hike combines physical activity, discovery of the region and tastings of local products.

An interpretive trail for the territory's edible plants, an agrotourism discovery tour by bike, tasting a traditional recipe after a winter hike, etc. There are many opportunities to integrate culinary heritage into outdoor activities. It's up to you to choose! Even better: don't hesitate to create experiences in line with the reality of your destination!

To go further on the subject, here is a selection of our articles:‍

From farm to fork: Slovenia's success in sustainable agrotourismThe Ljubljana Tourism Office has won its bet to make local Slovenian products accessible in the restaurants of major hotels.

Fans of authentic experiencesThis summary sheet provides managerial information about fans of authentic experiences. How do you create an authentic experience? Who are his followers? How do you communicate with them?

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.
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Reconciling the economic interests of a tourism organization with the social and environmental interests of its community in a long-term vision is what is called “strategic sustainable tourism”. What if it was just what you needed to respond to the many challenges exacerbated by the pandemic? Here is an overview of the trends observed and tips for starting a 5-step sustainability journey within your organization.

Issues and trends

According to a recent World Travel & Tourism Council report, 58% of consumers care more about the environment now than before the pandemic, and 73% pay attention to the actions of companies in this area. So, your customers may not always express it directly, but they are increasingly concerned about harmful practices, and they expect much greater commitments from you than... recycling.

In addition, the health crisis has revealed how fragile our system is and other crises related to climate change will occur. In recent months, tourism organizations, which are already vulnerable due to challenges that have long been observed, have faced enormous urgent challenges. In order to develop their resilience, they must have a long-term vision; this is essential.

The links between these issues and sustainability are numerous. Recent research and articles confirm that the shift has already begun among both consumers and tourism operators. They are agile and creative (see table below).

Portrait of the challenges and trends in strategic sustainable tourism

An example: Educating consumers to adopt eco-responsible practices helps to reduce costs. Les Nomad Hotels benefit their customers directly from it.

Where do you start?

At present, making your activities more sustainable may not be an obligation, but it certainly presents great opportunities as shown in the previous table: reducing your raw material and energy costs, retaining your customers and employees, improving your relationships and your reputation in your community, etc.Some actions are quite easy to carry out and do not require significant financial investments. Here are a few quick tips to get you started.

The example of a fictional restaurant will be used to illustrate the steps, because many accommodations and attractions will also be recognized there.

1- Analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (FFOM)

This exercise allows you to see more clearly.

First, you need to list the strengths and weaknesses that are specific to your organization. Figure out what you're already doing well and may be a strategic advantage, but also what you need to improve on. Also think about the obstacles to action for your weaknesses. In terms of opportunities and threats, they come from the context in which you operate. Include in your thinking the social and environmental impacts of your activities as well as the issues exacerbated by the pandemic.

In terms of best practices, the evaluation criteria of environmental certification bodies specific to tourism are good sources of information. Consult the directory Ecolabel index to find them.

Example of a fictional restaurant

2- Choose the issues you want to act on

To approach the sustainability of your activities in a strategic way, choose social and environmental issues that affect you directly or indirectly. You will create benefits for yourself, your customers, and your community. According to the text by Porter and Kramer (2007), the issues can be classified into the following three categories:

● Generic issues: little impact.
● Issues related to the organization's activities: direct impact.
● Issues related to the business environment: indirect impact.

Example of a fictional restaurant

3- Generate ideas and evaluate them

Use the results of the two previous exercises to get into brainstorming mode. Involve your employees in the process: they can bring an interesting perspective to this exercise as well as the previous one.

Taking into account your priorities and context, categorize ideas. The matrix of benefits (or impacts) in relation to feasibility, i.e. the effort required (in time and money) is a good tool. Think about the impact on your business and the benefits for your community. Prioritize high-impact projects that are easy to carry out.

Example of a fictional restaurant

4- Develop an action plan

Next, develop your action plan, which should include the following elements for each project:

● the person in charge (s);
● the tasks to be completed and the deliverables;
● a schedule;
● measurable performance indicators

Appointing a manager or creating a committee will allow you to delegate certain tasks. However, the support and involvement of managers or owners are essential to the success of any approach.

In order to promote mobilization, it is recommended to complete at least one project within one month, another after three months and a larger one after one year.

5- Communicate

For your sustainability approach to bear fruit (e.g. improving your reputation locally, attracting new customers, etc.), you need to make it known, including your real progress. However, it is essential to remain humble and transparent, to avoid your initiatives being perceived as greenwashing.

A concrete example

The caterer With Plaisirs has been concerned about its environmental impact since its foundation in 2001.Thanks to a step-by-step approach, the company has increased its commitment to citizenship and responsible management every year. Since choosing to offer only organic coffee, the process has progressed to include compensation with Planetair of its GHG emissions associated with delivery, as well as the replacement of traditional lunch boxes with new ones that are fully recyclable and compostable. This approach made it possible to overcome the reluctance of employees. For managers, the additional costs of some projects are offset by tangible benefits: new loyal customers and additional visibility. Read pages 21 to 25 of thecorporate social responsibility case study.

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To go further on the subject, here is a selection of our articles:
3 strategies to raise awareness of your sustainable practices and offersToday's travelers are looking for sustainable deals, but often lack information. Here are 3 strategies: adopt a clear positioning, package the offer and obtain certification.

The climate is changing, and you?
Adoption of new business models, diversification of supply and support for innovation... so many inspiring strategies to deal with the new realities associated with climate change.

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Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.‍

Last year, the tourism industry witnessed the birth of new practices or the rise of some that were already well established. How are businesses adapting to this reality in 2021? This analysis presents four trends and adaptation solutions to be ready to welcome visitors this year.

Flexibility: an asset for businesses in 2021

While the COVID-19 crisis has upset the plans of many travelers, they now expect more flexibility from tourism operators.

In 2020, tourism businesses proved to be agile and responsive to continuously adapt to health standards and government restrictions. You will have to continue to be flexible and post these new policies to succeed: cancellation and refund policies, changes to dates without fees, last-minute reservations, etc.

While the transport and accommodation sectors remain the most affected, all tourism operators must innovate to meet customer expectations. This is the case of the company Roads to Sea in New Brunswick, which has adapted its offer of guided tours to offer only private tours to a family bubble with a maximum of 10 people.

Technology and digital: an essential duo

New technologies and digital technology have made themselves indispensable in our industry. “Contactless” security, online shopping, virtual experiences, technology must be integrated more than ever throughout the visitor journey.

Technology at the service of safety

A figure that says a lot: according to a study by Booking.com, 67% of Canadian travelers think that technology will play a key role in controlling health risks during their stays. As security is at the heart of concerns, operators must adapt their practices by integrating technology (e.g. contactless payment, online menu). Using photos and videos to show visitors what to expect is also a great way to reassure them.

An essential online presence

The year 2020 demonstrated the importance of offering a transactional website and maintaining contact with its customers by offering innovative content on social networks. So, last summer, the restaurant L'Impreinte-Cuisine used social media to introduce the concept of interactive dishes by involving customers in menu design.

Virtual experiences on the agenda

Virtual tourism has become a major challenge for a tourism sector that has had to innovate to face the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it does not aim to replace real visits, it can nevertheless contribute to maintaining the link with customers and promote accessibility.

The cultural community, with its events and museum institutions, was particularly able to seize this opportunity. The Cavendish Beach Music Festival maximized its partnership with Bell, while offering itself national visibility, thanks to the broadcast of an evening of live concerts on the company's network.

On its website, the network Nova Scotia Museum lists online exhibitions, discovery activities to do at home and other multimedia content offered by the museums in the network.

Outdoor offers for everyone

Outdoor activities are highly appreciated and perceived as safer. Even if you do not initially work in the outdoor sector, it is possible to adapt your offer to meet this trend!

Museums, concerts, cinema: why not exhibit or perform outside? This is what the village of Memramcook in New Brunswick did by organizing a concert outside respecting all physical distance measures in place.

Outdoor concert in Memramcook with Laurie LeBlanc, Réveil and Cayouche in September 2020. Photos: Courtesy of the Société du Monument-Lefebvre

Other players have bet on partnerships to broaden their offer and diversify. In Ontario, summer theater 4th Line Theatre, had to cancel its regular programming for the 2020 season, but offered other outdoor activities: yoga, cinema, farmers' market, second-hand clothing sale, etc.

Towards sustainable tourism

It cannot be repeated enough, but 2020 seems to have marked a turning point for sustainable tourism. Buying local, supporting businesses that respect the environment, and reducing the carbon footprint are growing concerns of the population.

Faced with growing demand, businesses are adapting by displaying sustainable practices. Highlight your good actions: short circuit sourcing, circular economy, bulk packaging, responsible corporate culture, etc.!

Not sure where to start? Read the Touriscope article written for Experience Acadia” Pandemic and sustainable tourism: why and how to make your organization evolve in 5 steps ”.

Things are also changing among destination management organizations!

Tourism professionals have understood it well, the future of tourism will be sustainable. In recent years, environmental issues have been increasingly considered in the thinking of destinations. This year, Destination Occitanie has precisely focused its new strategic plan on sustainable tourism.

And you, what adaptation solutions have you put in place for visitors?

To go further on the subject, here is a selection of our articles:‍

3 strategies to raise awareness of your sustainable practices and offers
Travelers are adopting increasingly ecological behavior and are expecting similar changes from tourism businesses.

The climate is changing, and you?
Adoption of new business models, diversification of supply and support for innovation... so many inspiring strategies to deal with the new realities associated with climate change.

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.
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Why is strategic intelligence important?

There are certainly a thousand and one good reasons to incorporate business intelligence into your schedule. Here are three.

1- Stimulate your creativity and that of your team

The arrival of the Internet and information technology has accelerated the pace of innovation in organizations. Today, consumers are connected and have varied experiences and share them with a multitude of people. It is no longer possible to continue doing things as we have always done them, without asking questions.

Stimulating creativity within teams is an important challenge for many organizations. Keeping up to date with trends and best practices in your sector and competitors allows you to draw on a diversity of ideas that will broaden your thoughts and stimulate your imagination for your current projects. And since good ideas can come from any level of the organization, business intelligence shouldn't be an activity just for management.

2- Stay on the lookout for opportunities

It is important for any organization to remain attentive to the preferences of its target customers and to identify any changes in behavior that could affect your activities. Beyond consumer trends, strategic intelligence can also allow you to identify potential partners for your projects, grant and assistance programs that you may be eligible for, regulatory changes, etc.

3- Develop your skills and those of your team

The tourism industry is mostly composed of SMEs and the workforce in these organizations is generally required to combine several roles and tasks. In addition, tourism courses are rather general. If this is your case, your teams will benefit from deepening their knowledge and skills according to the missions you entrust to them.

In some areas, such as marketing, tools and trends are evolving at breakneck speed. It is therefore important to keep these skills up to date.

Our advice

Here are our expert tips for setting up effective monitoring.

1- Make a list of sources to follow

When compiling your list, look for sources that are relevant to your industry, areas of expertise, and target markets.

General sources on tourism news or trends are a good start. You will find a selection of topics that will affect you directly or indirectly.
A few examples:
- Express tourism
- Tourism Monitoring Network
- eTourisme.info
‍- The page Articles from Touriscope:)

Sources specific to your sector of activity are more targeted sources of inspiration when it comes to trends and best practices that are often directly applicable to your reality.
A few examples:
- HRI Mag
- Hospitality Net
- Museum Next
- PAX News

Specialized sources in a field of expertise will allow you to acquire or keep up to date your skills in certain areas.
A few examples:
- Marketing, for example the blog of Gonzo Marketing
- Human resources management, for example the CQRHT

Your tourism associations will tell you about their current advertising campaigns, assistance programs you may be eligible for, tools and training that may be useful to you, and much more.
- Your destination management organizations (Destination Canada, the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance, your ATR, etc.)
- Your sectoral tourism association

Local and regional general media often talk about interesting local initiatives that are not covered by other sources. On the other hand, they are in a way drowned out by other current topics.

*Pro tip: consider including local sources of information, as well as others that will tell you about your main markets (English Canada, United States, France, etc.).

2- Subscribe to RSS feeds from sources when possible

Many websites allow you to subscribe to their RSS feed, which means receiving new content all the time. To subscribe to it, you need an RSS aggregator, which will gather content from all your sources and present them to you on the same page.

The Touriscope team uses the aggregator Feedly. Accessible through an Internet browser or in the form of an application for tablets and mobiles, its free functionalities allow effective monitoring.

In particular, you can:
- Add new sources from Feedly
- Organize your sources by theme for example,
- Visualize an overview of the articles,
- Save the items you are interested in and organize them in tables.

3- Subscribe to newsletters

Unfortunately, not all relevant sources offer RSS feeds. Subscribe to newsletters from sources that you can't follow via RSS.

4- Search by keywords on search engines and social networks

To complete your RSS subscriptions and newsletters, you can create a short list of keywords to search for on search engines such as Google or social networks. For example, you might want to follow more closely the subject of agrotourism, cultural tourism, etc.

To do this, use the function News of your search engine. Google also allows you to create alerts for these keywords so that you can receive the news directly in your inbox.

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We recommend that you set aside a moment each day or week to consult your RSS aggregator and the newsletters received. This will give you a satisfying feeling of being in control of your time, because a task done all at once is more effective than a task that is interrupted.

You can also delegate this task to a person in the organization who will then be responsible for distributing the most relevant articles in order to share knowledge and stimulate the creativity of the entire team.

Our business intelligence services

If, despite our advice, you still lack time to carry out a monitoring worthy of the name, know that we offer this service. We can prepare weekly newsletters, for example, composed of articles as they are or accompanied by parallels to be drawn with your reality. We can also write exclusive analyses for your needs, based on the trends observed during these surveys.

To find out more, contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Your social and environmental impact

The business model framework is a widely used tool, especially in innovation management. It makes it possible to conceptualize the main facets of an organization's activities. Since its creation, it has been taken up and enriched by Joyce and Paquin, professors at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University, to make it possible to analyze activities from different perspectives of sustainable development.

Thus, the framework of the environmental business model makes it possible to reflect and present in an organized way the negative and positive impacts of activities, according to the perspective of the life cycle of products. This framework can also be adapted to analyze your social impacts, from the perspective of stakeholders.

In order to facilitate their use by managers, the canvases presented in The white paper contain examples of questions adapted to the tourism industry.

Concretely, how to use it?

1- Do a preliminary search

First, we recommend doing some preliminary research in order to acquire a certain knowledge of the issues, standards, best practices and opportunities in terms of sustainable tourism for your sector of activity. Otherwise, the templates will be difficult to use since they do not contain answers — rather, ways to explore — as to the actions to be implemented in order to make your activities more sustainable.

The strength of frameworks is that they allow you to approach corporate social responsibility in a strategic rather than generic way, going beyond, for example, the lists of environmental standards that you will find when doing your research. Careful thinking is more likely to lead to real competitive advantage.

2- Use canvases to visualize diagnostic highlights

First, download the PDF document containing the two canvases at the end of this article. You can enter your information directly into the document.

Use them for the first time with a descriptive approach to your activities as they currently are, based on the knowledge acquired during your preliminary research. Follow the order of the numbers in the cells. The result should be a global portrait of your environmental and social impacts.

Tip: Given the limited space, you will probably have to make choices about what information to present. We suggest using a large board and post-its, or creating a virtual one with Microsoft Power Point or Jamboard included with G Suite. We recommend that you write an idea per post-it note (see below for the outline of the environmental business model).

3- Define a vision and goals

Thus, the completed canvases represent your initial situation. From this, define a vision, that is, a description of the desired future. Then break it down into goals. Where possible, these should be SMART (specific, measurable, measurable, acceptable, realistic, and time-bound). For example, “achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.”

The vision, like the goals, must be consistent with your organizational mission and be well integrated into your overall strategy. They must also respond to the issues identified in your preliminary research and diagnosis.

4- Use canvases to innovate

The business model canvases can then be used as a tool during an ideation exercise (brainstorm). We suggest placing the vision and goals you have just defined there and then adding ideas for actions that will make it possible to achieve them.

And then?

The use of the frameworks of the environmental and social business model should be part of a more global approach to thinking about the transition of your organization to a greener and equitable economy. This is what our white paper offers: 10 steps to integrate sustainability into your strategy.

This article has covered 4 of the 10 steps in the process:

Step 1 - Understand what sustainable tourism is

Step 2 - Consider the benefits for your organization

Step 3 - Create an engagement team

Step 4 - Learn about the challenges, best practices and opportunities in your sector

Step 5 - Evaluate your environmental and social performance

Step 6 - Involve your stakeholders

Step 7 - Define vision and goals

Step 8 - Define actions to be taken to achieve the objectives

Step 9 - Integrate actions into your plans and strategies

Step 10 - Communicate continuously

Free to download (click on the image below). Remember, you can edit your information directly in the documents!

The Touriscope team wishes you good luck and do not hesitate to contact us to help you in your process or simply to share your successes with us!

As part of the “Enriching the Canadian Experience” program of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), workshops on tourism in the winter and intermediate seasons are offered for tourism stakeholders. This initiative aims to make tourism more efficient outside of seasonal peaks, especially in remote and unfrequented regions that are often neglected in favor of Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec and sunny destinations.

1- Segment to serve better!

But who are these tourists who could benefit from the seasons in between? Retirees, young adults, families without children or with children not attending school, professional customers, foreign customers, etc. Knowing their profile, expectations and behaviors makes it possible to communicate the right messages and offer them attractive products and services. Strategic knowledge provides a detailed understanding of these customers and makes it possible to create persona types similar to the profiles of the Explorer Quotient from Destination Canada. Do not hesitate to ask for this data from the ministries responsible for tourism in your province.

Segmentation is a good way to get to know local customers, a market that should not be overlooked since they are at their destination all year round!

To learn more about this clientele, read the article The ABC of a seduction operation with residents, previously published for Experience Acadie.

2- A watchword: diversification

Diversifying the offer is an avenue to explore in order to extend the tourist season. Some outdoor destinations are turning to the 4 seasons (e.g.: Mont Farlagne outdoor center), in order to attract customers all year round. In Mauricie, The Enchanting Estate, initially renowned for its icy forest trails, has expanded its offer with an animal park and a suspended labyrinth to be operational several months a year.

Organize events

Several destinations in the Maritimes have bet on events during the slower period. With the Celtic Colours International Festival which takes place in the fall, Cape Breton focuses on combining its cultural and natural heritage. Also in Nova Scotia, the lobster season brings its share of winter festivities with the Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl Festival. An opportunity to bring partners together to build an original offer (e.g.: Take a surfing course in winter).

As operators, promote events in your region on your networks and make sure you are present there (kiosk, partners, etc.). Finally, although the pandemic has had a significant impact on events, it has stimulated innovation by forcing many events to rethink their organization: hybrid programming, reduced seats, use of the virtual, etc. (e.g.: Caraquet Acadian Festival).

Focus on what makes you unique

Offering unique experiences that highlight the particularities of your region outside of the tourist season is a good opportunity to attract customers. For example, Newfoundland relies on the iceberg season as a real attractiveness factor.

Other destinations, such as Sweden, play on their northernness by offering “arctic” experiences: observation of the aurora borealis, Winter yoga, swimming in frozen lakes, etc.

3- Promote the destination

Create original seasonal campaigns

Some destination management organizations adapt the content on their website according to the seasons (e.g.: Gaspesie Tourism, Banff and Lake Louise). In 2019, Fàilte Ireland launched the campaign Taste the Island which aims to distribute the number of visitors in all regions of the country while extending the tourist season by promoting gourmet events from September to November.

Adapt your rates

By offering advantageous prices during quieter periods, it is possible to vary and distribute traffic flows (promotion, special gifts, etc.).

In France, the event Le Printemps du Ski promotes spring skiing with attractive packages. Package deals are also an opportunity to partner with businesses open all year round and to include exclusive activities that are not available during the high season.

4- Adjust services and workforce

Retain a new workforce

Seasonality exacerbates certain challenges related to the recruitment and retention of human resources. Are students hard to remember? Reach out to other pools of workers such as retirees and newcomers. Actions such as recognizing the contribution of employees or offering benefits to those who return the following season will allow you to retain them more.

Ensure a constant welcome

Welcoming is sometimes simply ensuring that information on the various platforms is up to date: business schedules, events, etc. Some collaborative tools allow each stakeholder to modify their data themselves.

Don't overlook the arrival of visitors! A slower period allows more time to take care of the welcome with attentive listening, small attentions that are more difficult to afford during busy periods.

You are not alone!

The extension of the season and the development of the offer in intermediate seasons have been identified as priorities by the federal government. This issue is at the heart of the concerns of the tourism community and measures are being taken to support stakeholders (e.g.: Canadian Experiences Fund, “Enriching the Canadian Experience” program). However, efforts must be made collectively, in a spirit of cooperativeness, because a destination is a complex tourism ecosystem. Indeed, accommodations will not fill up if there are no attractions open and attractions alone will not be able to attract remote visitors who have nowhere to sleep and eat!

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To go further on the subject, here is a selection of our articles:‍

From farm to fork: Slovenia's success in sustainable agrotourismThe Ljubljana Tourism Office has won its bet to make local Slovenian products accessible in the restaurants of major hotels.

Fans of authentic experiencesThis summary sheet provides managerial information about fans of authentic experiences. How do you create an authentic experience? Who are his followers? How do you communicate with them?

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.
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The best ideas come from a change of perspective and innovation must be based on reliable data. This is what we believe in at Touriscope and the reason why we have followed with interest the events, issues and trends that marked 2020. Here is a summary of what caught our attention.

The need to reinvent ourselves

The tourism sector has demonstrated its resilience with actors who have been able to innovate and seize opportunities to adapt to changes. The incredible diversity of initiatives (outdoor experiences, product development, etc.) does not allow us to paint a complete picture. For this section, we have therefore selected initiatives related to digital and virtual technology, a reality that has become essential for many tourism players.

Taming digital tools

With the forced closure of shops and attractions, many operators have turned to digital technology. If even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the online presence of operators was an issue for many of them, it has now become essential for their survival.

So the pandemic has Accelerated the digital shift that many businesses had already started: modernization of the website, transaction platform, presence on social networks, etc. Several support initiatives have been put in place to help businesses start online. For example, note the provision of a social media consultant for tourism businesses in Nova Scotia, the resources of Google for small business or the six free videos” Marketing tips and tricks ” from Destination Canada.

- On this subject, see also our article 6 simple marketing tips to bounce back during a pandemic

Digital and virtual experiences

Beyond a simple online presence, many tourist operators have played the card of a virtual offer, especially in the cultural sector. Indeed, although the pandemic has had a significant impact on events, it has stimulated innovation by forcing many events to rethinking their organization : webcast from unusual locations, hybrid programming, reduced number of seats, live broadcast on social networks (e.g.: Caraquet Acadian Festival, Clare Acadian Festival). To support organizers, EventBrite has published several articles addressing, for example, the themes of security online events or inspirational ideas.

For their part, museums were among the first to integrate virtual experiences into their offer: online collections, virtual exhibitions And even virtual guided tours for school groups.

However, virtual offers are not registered in the cultural community. The company Talaysay Tours for example, adapted its most popular guided tour to allow visitors to experience it virtually. Numerous virtual experiences are offered on the new platform Amazon Explore (tastings, guided tours, etc.) that offers an opportunity for visibility to any operator. From the start of the pandemic, the cooperative Harvest from home has created a virtual market to allow users of the Dieppe market to continue to order their products and support local producers.

Reflecting on new business models

However, the multiplication of virtual offers raises the question of the business model of many players: how to monetize digital content and activities? This article reviews the best practices of museum and cultural institutions on this subject. Digital technology also offers museums the opportunity to innovate in order to generate new revenue streams like a German museum that tested a “per hour” rate replacing the traditional admission fees. Finally, The restaurant sector is also reinventing itself with the rise in popularity of take-out meals in all their forms.

Platforms are adapting to become marketing places. So, big players like facebook or zoom now offer a feature to monetize certain online events.

Other inspiring innovations

The hotel and restaurant sectors are no exception when it comes to innovation. While some hotels are turning into rental housing, others are also getting creative by finding new ways to organize safe and original events. For example, TheGrey Rock Hotel in Edmundston wants to expand its clientele by offering Snowbirds monthly packages for fully equipped suites.

Some Saint John restaurant owners have teamed up to allow customers to pass by and pay for touchless controls. Other restaurants have played more with the concept of social distance, such as L'Auberge Saint-Antoine who set up heated mini greenhouses.

Pop-up offers seem to be a popular trend this year, as evidenced by the launch of this Pop-up ad or the creation of the ephemeral village UNIQ Hotel.

4 major tourist trends

This year, tourism was marked by growing enthusiasm for certain types of practices. We have selected four of them with inspiring examples!

The outdoors doesn't run out of steam!

The enthusiasm for outdoor activities was very strong this year and will continue to be an important driver in the revival of the tourism industry. These experiences have the advantage of being practiced without much proximity to other users and are thus more easily adapted to health measures. Among them, sports activities such as hiking, climbing, cycling (with the electric bike) and the cross-country skiing are gaining popularity.

A new way of reconciling remote work and a change of scenery for young workers, recreational vehicles were popular this summer and demonstrate the enthusiasm for Roadtrips And the campsite. Finally, the quality of urban development influences the local outdoor experience for residents: construction of new bike paths, layout of outdoor sites, installation of winter furniture, etc.

Dynamic rural areas that attract

Rural tourism is one of the structuring trends in tourism. Data like that ofExpedia and Airbnb confirm this: it is the lesser-known destinations that are smaller and far from urban centers that are gaining the most popularity.

Rural destinations and small towns are dynamic and innovating to face the challenges of the pandemic, for example by thinking about infrastructures and public spaces or by creating a local currency. The tourist offer in rural areas continues to develop, as evidenced by the circuit projects of Osgoode Township Museum in Ontario and of the MRC Montcalm in Quebec. It is also an opportunity for certain rural regions to (re) launch a territorial attractiveness strategy, as is the case for the department of Nièvre in France with their campaign.” Try Nièvre! ” and to support local elected officials in the enhancement of rural heritage.

Culinary tourism and gourmet tourism

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of supporting the local economy. This trend has increased the popularity of gourmet tourism and is reflected in particular in the purchase of local products and the support of local producers and processors. Thus, some producers who offer agrotourism experiences and local products have registered record sales this summer. Culinary tourism was identified by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada as a sector with high growth potential, which led to the creation of 5 thematic courses created by the Culinary Tourism Alliance as part of the program. Enriching the Canadian experience.

Gourmet box delivery, Rando-Bistro to combine the outdoors and culinary delights, Tourist grape harvests, coffee tastings, etc., gourmet tourism inspires and offers great prospects for businesses and destinations. By following some advice, these kinds of festivals and outdoor events can even continue to take place, despite the pandemic.

Indigenous communities can also count on gourmet tourism to share a whole part of their culture. So, a partnership between the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations and the Culinary Tourism Alliance was created to give greater visibility to Indigenous agrotourism experiences. The publication of the Cree cookbook” Nordic flavors ” by Tourism Baie-James and Tourism Eeyou Istchee also testifies to this desire to promote culinary heritage.

More responsible tourism

Whether by supporting the local economy, buying local products or developing more ecological modes of transport (e.g.: Road trip in electric vehicles, development of a safety corridor for active transport), responsible and ecological behaviors are multiplying. The demand for eco-responsible products and experiences is stronger than ever and this trend is set to take up even more space since it is part of a particular societal evolution (environmental issues, climate change, overconsumption, etc.).

Destinations are taking initiatives to guide the tourism industry towards more sustainable tourism. For example, the decision of The Basque Country Tourism Office to publish a single paper guide to stop distributing pamphlets from each company or even the sustainable tourism training for professionals in the sector, offered by the Bourgogne—Franche-Comté region in France.

2 new coveted customers

In terms of customers, the year 2020 marks a return to the domestic market and premises in general, a clientele that has been a bit forgotten in recent years.

Residents: towards local tourism

Border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have hampered international travel, while opening up new opportunities for local tourism. So the trend is Microadventures and to support the local economy. Airbnb has thus launched its platform Go Near to meet the growing popularity of domestic travel.

In terms of inspiration, residents are called upon to share their best addresses and “hidden gems” more than ever with initiatives such as the platform Rediscover Canada. This example is part of the ongoing trend of tourist guides created by locals.

Destinations and operators have been forced to turn to local customers and to put residents at the heart of considerations: awareness and involvement in tourism development (e.g.: PEI Tourism Industry Association), taking into account the well-being of the local population (e.g.: Magdalen Islands Tourism) and even, a measure of their happiness (e.g.: Thompson-Okanagan Region). Inspiring initiatives that demonstrate the desire to develop sustainable tourism that is ever more respectful of host communities.

- On this subject, see also our article The ABC of a seduction operation with residents

Nomad teleworkers

The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the practice of teleworking, allowing part of the workforce to work from wherever they want. Some destinations and tourist operators have prepared offers adapted to this new clientele Like the Charlevoix Massif which is launching a program, packages and installations for remote workers.

Focus on health and safety

The tourism sector has had to adapt to the new health and social distance measures put in place in many countries. Moreover, a safe environment is The condition required for many visitors and potential travelers who expect, for example, increased cleaning from accommodations.

Governments and tourism organizations have thus worked to develop health plans, like Quebec, which has adopted of a complete plan including 34 sectoral sheets. Certifications are also a way of reassuring visitors and standardizing health safety standards. The program” Safe Travels ” is a certification for tourism and hotel businesses available in many countries. Operators meeting Safe Travels health standards become eligible to display the program logo.

Finally, the challenge for operators and tourist destinations is to maintain a quality customer experience, while respecting these safety standards. Some tourism stakeholders are showing Imagination and humor to inform visitors while maintaining a pleasant experience. Destinations are not left behind with the creation of fun charters to communicate safety instructions to visitors. Kindness and empathy are also at the heart of messages that are intended to be informative and reassuring.

Human resources challenges

To the challenges of recruiting and retaining the workforce already present in the tourism sector, new challenges have emerged with the pandemic: teleworking, human resources management, mobilization for recovery, etc. In the perspective of recovery, specialized organizations offer tools for businesses such as HR Tourism Canada, which organizes a series of free webinars of one hour to help them continue their activities and be more resilient.

While some employers are being creative in recruiting workers — example of Riotel Group Who partnered with a comedian to convince potential candidates — it is possible to mobilize and retain resources by applying some advice simple ones like planning, communication, feedback, and non-monetary recognition.

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The importance of strategic knowledge and research

The uncertainty with which 2020 was lived demonstrated even more the value of strategic knowledge and research. Numerous studies, surveys and observatories thus provide the industry with the data it needs to adapt continuously and prepare for recovery.

Prospects for recovery

The pandemic and the health measures put in place, in particular the closure of borders, have had a major impact on the travel and air transport industry. The OGDs carried out several surveys in preparation for the recovery to better understand the behaviors and fears of the various markets. The regular updating of reports and forecasts of Destination Canada thus allows destinations to plan the return to normal. The behavior of travelers has also been the subject of several studies, including that of the firm Light.

The future of travel

What will the travel industry look like after the pandemic? This is a question that many organizations are trying to answer by forecasting future travel standards. Booking.com identified nine trends for the coming year, including the importance of the concept of Workcation and the increase in environmental awareness. On a technological level, amadeus identify new processes to adopt. THEOMT ensures its international leadership role by identifying five priority areas for tourism recovery.

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

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On our tourism planet, adaptation and innovation are the key words to deal with changing markets, crises and upheavals.

Destination promotion and management organizations (DMO/OGD) are no exception. Moreover, their business model, roles and responsibilities are increasingly being questioned. Some are paving the way for a change that promises to be lasting, by abandoning the promotion of their territory in favor of assertive support for tourism businesses to support their development.

This is the case of La Tangente, Northern Tourism Innovation Agency. Like a “start-up”, this Departmental Tourism Committee (CDT) of the Department of Nord in France undertook a pivot of its business model in 2020. It abandoned its mandate to promote the destination to its customer markets in favor of a 100% B2B shift.

We spoke with Bastien Di Cristofaro, Digital, Data & Communication Manager at La Tangente. We were more than curious to know more about this transition and their service offer dedicated to tourism players.

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New business model and brand image

In France, CDTs are institutional organizations that act at the level of their department, essentially for the promotion and marketing of the tourist offer in their territory. Business support is a related service offered by many of them. In recent years, the CDT of the North Department has undertaken a review that led it to the observation that the regional organization (Regional Tourism and Convention Committee) and tourist offices were better placed than him to carry out marketing actions than him.

Thus, since last summer, the CDT has changed its brand image to become La Tangente, a tourism innovation agency in the North. Legally, the agency maintains the status of CDT and the same funding by the territorial authority of the department. But its services have been reoriented towards all tourism players (public and private), with an emphasis on support in their innovation approaches. The agency's ambition is to bridge the gap between the world of tourism and innovation.

Professionalization of the team, at the heart of their raison d'être

The main link in this change was the development of the team's skills. Restructuring proved necessary in order to develop expertise. The entire team has been transformed: new collaborators have been recruited, members of the existing team have been trained and others have left the organization. At the same time, a training plan (online and by video) was set up, in order to equip the team with innovative methods of project management, animation and digital technology.

Today, there are 15 employees with well-defined expertise and skills, a number that is a dream for a local organization in Canada! Here are some of the positions:

• Data, digital & communication manager
• Innovation & design coach
• Entrepreneur coach
• Communication & Editorial Manager
• Marketing & digital project manager
• Culture/itinerance/accommodation/sustainable development project manager
• Watch Manager/Trends

The following excerpt from their “State of Mind” published on their website is indicative of a different approach and strong beliefs:

“The tourism ecosystem is undergoing multiple evolutions, dictated by new consumption patterns and the digitalization of the economy. (...) With the Department of the North, we are therefore convinced that it is necessary to anticipate these changes and generate opportunities for innovation within your organizations and territories. For this, it is essential to Dedicate a structure bringing together specific expertise and methodologies such as data science, design thinking, implementation, open innovation, agile approaches and creativity methodologies ”.

A range of services that make sense 

La Tangente focuses its services on:

• Project support, with a focus on diversifying and adapting the offer, which is particularly appropriate since COVID.
• Networking with other actors in the tourism ecosystem, for example to test a new offer or service and to obtain advice from an expert in a specific sector of activity.
• The development of strategic knowledge, through monitoring and trend articles, webinars, studies, toolkits for digital transformation, etc. And what particularly caught our attention: a tourist observatory combined with a service to support companies to better manage their data.
  

What is the Data Lab?

Bastien Di Cristofaro and his team are in the process of setting up a Data Lab, which brings together all the agency's databases and data processing or dissemination tools. These will then be made available to actors on the territory in order to support them in their activities.

The team aims to aggregate and process a multitude of data sources on the platform. Opendatasoft, by type of category (clientele, attendance, offer, etc.). Data comes from a variety of sources: TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Airbnb, Airbnb, Google My Business, Google Travel Insights, territorial WiFi, road traffic, weather, DataTourism, etc.

The primary objective is to have an up-to-date picture of tourism supply and demand. La Tangente also wants to refine the data at the level of each territory and sector of activity, which would make it possible, for example, to calculate the economic weight of tourism or to develop forecasts of attendance.

As you will have understood, this approach requires real expertise in open data management. When it comes to identifying the tourist offer of a destination, accessible technologies already exist, such as Apidae in France or MyCity in Switzerland, which also has an office in Montreal. For its part, the Quebec Ministry of Tourism announced last January have chosen the Tourinsoft tourist information system for the entire TA network.

Creation of a customer data analysis tool

Among the Data Lab projects, the team set up a pilot project to collect data from visitors in tourist offices. Thanks to the tool AirTable, the reception staff asks questions to each visitor (age, group composition, length of stay, etc.) and enters the answers into a questionnaire. Data is compiled in real time and integrated into graphs and tables.

Thus, the first tourist offices benefiting from the tool have a map of traffic flows, the profile and behavior of their visitors. For its part, La Tangente can consult the data from all the offices to get a global picture. Once this stage has been established, the team would like to extend the approach to businesses, by developing an in-house solution via a member area on their website. The team dreams of a real CRM at the territorial level, nothing less!

An inspiring model for here?

We presented the La Tangente model to you because we are convinced that these agents of change pave the way for a redistribution of roles and responsibilities between regional and local promotion and development organizations. In a logic of pooling efforts between actors, this initiative is intended to be inspiring to nourish your thoughts and initiate discussions.

If you want to know more about La Tangente, or to know other models of this kind, do not hesitate to contact us!

A big thank you to Bastien Di Cristofaro for agreeing to our interview and sharing this information on the career and projects of La Tangente!

A survey, for what?

To inform your decisions! A survey is a primary data collection tool that contributes to improving your organization's strategic knowledge. Once analyzed, this data is useful in particular for the development of your global and marketing strategies.

Customer surveys: one tool, several goals

In tourism as in all sectors of activity, it is essential to know your current and potential customers well in order to identify their needs, to understand how to meet their expectations and to develop services and experiences that correspond to them. This is all the more true in a context of pandemic which is seeing the birth of new clientele and tourist behaviors.

For example, local (or local) customers are still customers whose preferences and consumption habits are little known in the tourism industry. It is therefore appropriate to survey them about their travel habits, their interests, the platforms and media used, etc.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of specific goals that customer surveys can answer:

• Obtain a portrait of the profile and behavior of your current and potential customers;
• Measuring interest in a product/service/destination;
• Measure the perception or reputation of a product/service/destination;
• Measuring customer satisfaction;
• Get the opinion of a population/community about a project;
• Identify new trends.

Encouraging data collection and customer knowledge throughout the year within your team is therefore a profitable initiative. because it allows you to have new, exclusive and reliable information to guide your strategic decisions.‍

Business surveys: to improve B2B services

Customers aren't the only ones who can give you valuable information. As an organization, it is just as relevant to question customers as it is to question members and businesses in your area. Business surveys serve several purposes:

• Measure the perception or reputation of a B2B service;
• Identify ways to improve your services;
• Measure the satisfaction of employees/members or partners;
• Get the opinion of a sector about a project;
• Measure the importance or economic weight of a sector (e.g. accommodation);
• Conduct a diagnosis of a sector;
• Identify a particular need.

Our advice at every stage

The next section details the 5 steps to follow, from identifying the objectives of the questionnaire to analyzing the results. Although this article focuses on online surveys, other collection methods exist, including paper questionnaires at reception sites. The following tips are therefore more suitable for a web questionnaire. The latter facilitate the compilation of data, even if the formats of the questions are sometimes limited by the functionalities of the chosen platform. However, the first two steps below are just as useful if you opt for a paper-based survey option.

Step 1: Identifying the objectives of the questionnaire

Here are examples of questions to ask yourself beforehand and which will be used to guide you throughout the questionnaire development process:

- What information can we look for?
- What need (s) will this data meet?
- Who is this questionnaire for? Who is going to answer it?

Step 2: Questionnaire Development

The length, wording, and type of questions are very important factors to consider as they influence the correct response rate. The recommended length for a questionnaire is approximately 15 to 20 questions. If a questionnaire is too long, some respondents may not complete it all the way. For example, a 10-question survey has an average completion rate of 89% but with 40 questions, this rate increases to 79%. Here are a few tips:

• Formulate simple and precise questions, to limit the risk of misunderstanding/interpretation;
• Insert the most important questions at the beginning to ensure that you get the most answers to these strategic questions;
• Vary the style of the questions and the answer options to keep respondents interested and to avoid them giving up before the end;
• Ask socio-demographic questions at the end.
  

Bet on gamification! By making the process more fun, it's sometimes easier to get respondents' attention. Here are a few ideas:
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- Formulate surprising questions or in the form of challenges
example : In the case of a restaurant, rather than asking what dishes they would like to see on the menu, invite them to put together their ideal 3-course menu.
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- Use visual stimuli like emojis to measure satisfaction with a service or experience
example : Overall, are you satisfied with the services offered by our organization?

- Reward! Monetary or not, rewards are an incentive that should not be overlooked when you want to engage participants. For example, you can offer a promotion, contest, or exclusive content. ‍

Step 3: Programming the questionnaire

Do you like your questionnaire? It is now time to put it online on the chosen platform. Each platform offers more or less customization options and programming assistance tools. For example, Google Forms and Survey Monkey offer pre-designed questionnaire templates. Survey Monkey also offers a bank of questions that have already been formulated.

Step 4: Sending the questionnaire

There are several options for reaching respondents:

• Sending invitations by email. This option is preferred if you already have a bank of email addresses (e.g. members of your organization, customer files, subscribers to your newsletter).
• Sharing the survey on your social networks. Anyone can then access the survey using the link or a QR code. In this case, it is appropriate to add a filter question at the beginning of the survey that will allow you to select respondents who correspond to your target audience. This sharing method also makes it possible to invite potential partners to relay the survey link on their own networks to increase the audience.
  example : For a survey to measure traveller satisfaction, the filter question could be “Have you travelled to the X region in the last three years?” ”. In the case of a negative answer, the respondent would then not be eligible to continue the questionnaire.

• Buying a panel of respondents. It is an option offered by several survey platforms that makes it possible to target respondents according to specific socio-demographic criteria. Although more expensive than other methods, this option makes it possible to target more precisely the profile of respondents you are interested in. Survey Monkey is one of the platforms that offers this option.
  example : In the case of a market study, you want to know the opinion of your future potential customers. By buying answers from a panel, you can precisely target the profile of the respondents using socio-demographic, geographic and even interest-based criteria or interview a representative sample of the general population.

Step 5: Analyzing the results

Once the survey is over and the data is exported, you will be able to make the information collected speak for themselves. Some platforms offer tools for presenting results (graphs, option to cross-reference answers, etc.). Feel free to explore these options to get a first glimpse of the results.

• Focus on the main questions first, which are the ones that meet your original objective. Additional questions often provide additional answers or explanations.
• If the data is comparable to previous surveys, compare them across time periods to get an overview of trends.
• Finally, draw conclusions from the data. To do this, you can group responses into categories and use causal relationships to explain the relationship between the various variables where appropriate.

To conclude, there is only one watchword: share! Depending on the nature of the results, it can be very relevant to share them with your work team, partners and of course your customers. To do this, feel free to use tools like dashboards that make information more readable. And why not share some key stats or highlights on your social networks? In any case, it is necessary to keep in mind that the results of a survey have a limited lifespan and that the process must therefore be repeated on a regular basis in order to always have relevant results that reflect reality.

We can help!

If, despite our advice, you are hesitant to start creating a survey or you are having trouble identifying your needs and all the advantages of a survey, know that we can help you.

To find out more, contact us !

Through their leadership role, these tourism organizations are particularly well placed to compile and analyze data on current and potential visitors to their territory. But what are we really talking about? What are the challenges in managing this data? Here are a few things to think about, as well as best practice examples that are very revealing of the potential of customer data.

New ways to collect customer data

Across the country, province or region, Canadian destinations collect a lot of data to better know their customers. Until recently, these were mainly surveys, statistics from social networks, newsletters and websites. But new initiatives are emerging in order to obtain a more accurate picture of the profile and behavior of their visitors. They rely on other sources, including:

• Search engine data (e.g. Google Trends)
• Location-based mobile data (telephony providers such as Rogers, Telus)
• Payment data (Mastercard, Visa transactions)
  

The Quebec Ministry of Tourism is also taking a closer look at this massive data. In his new Tourism intervention framework 2021-2025, he says he wants to stimulate innovation by using big data to understand customers. At the Tourism Conference at the end of May, he unveiled his Visitor View tool from Environics Analytics, using visitors' cellular data. The New Brunswick Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture also uses this tool.

The Environics Analytics platform aggregates a multitude of external databases to profile and segment consumers. For segmentation, they offer the PRIZM solution, which is based on visitors' postal codes. There is a version just for Quebec. This makes it possible to obtain “typical profiles” of Canadian visitors, including their leisure and travel behaviors.

Data sharing is also one of MTO's commitments since, in collaboration with the Alliance, it aims to build a unique customer database for relational marketing and customer knowledge purposes.

Advantages and challenges of exploiting data in tourism

Dedicating efforts to exploiting customer data creates opportunities for collaboration between the organization and its external environment (stakeholders), but also internally since it forces to break silos between departments. This was emphasized by Nicholas Hall, founder of Digital Tourism Think Tank, during a webinar/discussion group organized jointly with the European Tourism Futures Institute.

He also outlined the three main benefits of using data in marketing: facilitation, engagement, and targeting.

Even if destinations are aware of what customer data can do for them, there are many obstacles that prevent them from taking action and exploring options other than those already used (but often unsatisfactory), including:

• Lack of time, resources, and technical skills
• High data purchase cost (even very high!)
• Reluctance to sharing data between actors
• Lack of understanding of data science and the value creation process
• Technological barrier (technological debt, non-standardized data systems between organizations, etc.)
  

The last two points were shared with me by two brilliant start-ups from the MT Lab, Gradiant AI and Alpha Premium. I had the chance to give a talk with them at the event of Connected territories of the NumériQC week to demystify the management of customer data in tourism organizations.

Using data to predict tourism recovery

Since the start of COVID, Destination Canada has developed an analytical method to identify signs in consumer and industry behaviors to estimate where, when, and at what pace travel and tourism will resume.

The report, entitled” Report on the consequences of COVID-19 and the recovery of the markets ”, is updated regularly. The diversity of data sources makes it possible to obtain a fairly accurate and complete picture of the situation. The estimates for each province and target market are based on:

• Credit and debit card spending in Canada, standardized based on Statistics Canada data
• Prospective booking and cancellation data for return tickets from travel agencies authorized by IATA
• Queries including keywords related to travel, attractions, and events on Google (2020 versus 2019)
• Searching for and booking accommodation on an online travel agency
• Bookings for flights to Canada
• The number of new cases of Covid in each country
  

A center of expertise in tourism based on data

During the DTTT webinar, I discovered the center of expertise in leisure, tourism and hospitality CELTH, in the Netherlands. In partnership with the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions, they created the Data & Development Lab Destinatie Nederland. Their projects using data are very inspiring and go beyond customer knowledge. Here are a few examples:

• Carbon footprint of all types of travel to and from the Netherlands
• Comparison tools for visitor management
• Customer journey toolkit
• Dashboard the State of Destination the Netherlands
• Day Visitor Data Development (activate the Google fr translator)
• Predictive models for insight into tourism pressures
• Using GPS to track visitor behavior in tourism
• Value of online feeling data for tourism issues

Where do you start?

Destinations no longer have the choice to make greater use of customer data. Whether to compete with each other or with the Web giants who now all have one foot in the journey (Google, Amazon). To do this, it is necessary to have technological and data analysis skills internally, but I think it is mainly about being open to all opportunities and being interested in the subject (through monitoring, conferences, discussions with partners, etc.).

Technologies are becoming more and more accessible, automated solutions exist on the market, some of which are dedicated to DMOs. Firms specialize in using this massive data for the tourism industry: Travel Appeal in Europe, Visitdata in France, Rove Marketing in Canada or Arrivalist in the United States.

The tourism industry is just beginning to see the potential of big data. Of course, ethical issues are omnipresent and there are many gray areas. Data use projects should above all be based on standards that guarantee the privacy of individuals and the confidentiality of their data. Because the most important thing is to maintain a relationship of trust with our travelers!

Click hither to download our white paper on customer data collection.

If you want to discuss your customer knowledge projects or simply discuss this subject, do not hesitate to contact us Contact!

A tourist package is a set of at least two services at a global price sold by a single intermediary. A package generally includes accommodation, meals, visits to attractions, and participation in activities. Package pricing, which consists of offering a combination of complementary tourist activities and services as part of a package, has the following advantages:

• Attracting and retaining visiting customers and/or new customer markets;
• Distribute traffic flows across the country or over all periods of the year;
• Improve the attractiveness of its offer and that of the entire region;
• Reduce marketing and promotion costs;
• Improve the customer experience and increase their level of satisfaction.

A package should offer something that would be impossible or difficult to obtain if you booked each of the products separately: simplified reservation, advantageous prices, exclusive products, special products, small attention, etc.

Here are the steps to follow.

The creation

1 — Determine your needs and assets

State clearly what your goals are. Do you want to attract more customers during the week? Extend visitor stays?

Also, think about what you can give. What services do you offer? Do you want to develop a main theme? Romantic, country, gourmet package, etc.

Remember that packages can also be organized around annual events (Easter, Mother's Day, spring break, etc.)

In Montreal, Guidatour offers a Fall Legends package including a city tour on local legends, a themed dinner at the restaurant and a visit to the thematic exhibitions of the Grand Pumpkin Ball and Lantern Magic at the Botanical Garden.

2 — Define the target customer

Who is your package for? Families, couples, athletes, gourmets? You need to define the customers you are targeting, whether by socio-demographic segment or by area of interest. Creating personas can help you identify their expectations and needs, which will be different from one segment to another.

With his package” In remote working mode ”, the Eastman spa is aimed directly at remote workers by focusing on the site environment that is conducive to concentration. The offer includes accommodation, a wifi connection as well as access to the trails and the thermal experience. In the context of a pandemic, what packages can you offer to local customers or remote workers?

3 — Create partnerships

A tourism company can offer a package that includes only its services, but it can also combine them with those of other businesses as part of a partnership, choosing them according to the target clientele. To work, the partnership must be a win-win: everyone must benefit from it. To do this, be sure to clearly identify and formulate what you can contribute to the other party and what you can gain from it. List businesses that can complement your offering. Make sure of the quality of what they offer. Do you share the same values and goals? Is the quality of your offers similar? Are you targeting the same customers?

The terms of the partnership must be negotiated in a way that is fair for the parties. In your contract, consider the following elements: commitments and responsibilities of each person, service rates and details of inclusions, reservation and cancellation conditions, terms of payment between partners, dates and times of validity of the offer, capacity (size of groups or sales limits), etc. Test the services of your partners to ensure that they meet your expectations.

4 — Design the package: from development to description

When drawing up the package, it is necessary to ask the following questions:

• What makes my package original, unusual?
• Does it meet a need or an insufficient supply? Consult the sites of destination management organizations and specialized travel agencies to see what is already being done in your region or for the target market segment.

• Why will the customer choose my package over another? Make sure you clearly define the added value of your package (e.g.: gift, basket of local products, gift card, gas voucher, VIP experience, etc.).
• Also consider developing an offer around existing call products to benefit from the traffic generated by these attractions.
  

For the description, focus on emotions! Find a catchy and original title, and take care of the visual elements so that everything makes visitors want to live this experience.

Examples : Take It Relaxed, Breathe Fresh Air, and Pull the plug on the establishment packages The Mountain Man (QC)

To facilitate decision-making and reduce the necessary interactions with your staff, anticipate all customer questions in the description or FAQ section of your website. Your description should contain all of the following information: rates, validity periods, terms, conditions, partner presentations, duration and, if necessary, the itinerary, which is NOT included to avoid misunderstandings.

Commercialization

5 — Set a rate

The advantage of a package is often associated with the price (cheaper than that of services booked separately), but this is not necessarily the case. The important thing is that the customer finds an advantage in it: a gift, a surprise, etc.

example : The packages Stay & Play are for residents of Fredericton: the purchase of a package of at least one night includes a gift voucher to be used in several restaurants in the city.

It is also possible to present a basic package while leaving the possibility for visitors to add options when booking (e.g. a massage, a bottle of wine). Remember to adjust the package price according to the target clientele by offering discounted rates for families, for example.

6 — Market

You have two main choices depending on your needs and abilities: market the package yourself to your customers or use an intermediary.

Direct sales: Booking is done through your own touchpoints, either your transactional website or your sales and reservations staff. You don't pay commission and you can give better service before the sale.

Indirect sale: Booking is made through marketing platforms for a commission (e.g.: online travel agency, destination management organization). Using these intermediaries increases your visibility and reduces the burden of customer relationship management, over which, however, you lose some control.

7- Communicate

Proud of your package? Now is the time to promote it to your target customers! To do this, rely on the various digital platforms:

• Promote it regularly on your social networks and in your newsletter;
• Add a “Package” section to your website and keep it up to date;
• Check the possibilities of collaboration with your tourism associations (ATR, etc.)
• Ensure that the package is also presented on the networks and platforms of the partners involved in order to extend the reach of communications.
  

The assessment

Keep in mind that a package is never frozen in time. It must evolve and remain relevant for customers, for your business and for the partners concerned. It is therefore essential to carry out an evaluation to see if the performance is satisfactory for you and your partners and if the objectives defined in point 1 have been achieved. Gathering customer feedback through satisfaction surveys is a good way to keep things that work best and remove irritants.

Partnerships and co-opetition at the heart of the process

Forfetization is above all about combining complementary forces to promote a sector of activity or a destination. So, bet on partnerships and coopetition! Encouraging collaboration between operators and creating partnerships with other actors who are not necessarily in the tourism sector remain the best formula for an attractive package. This collaboration can give rise to packages, but also to other forms of marketing, such as itineraries or thematic routes such as Taste of Nova Scotia Trails.

Article written in collaboration with Experience Acadie. Updated on February 27, 2023.

During the summer and fall of 2020, more than one in three Maritime residents (37%) enjoyed more outdoor leisure activities than before the pandemic, within a radius of less than 5 km from home. This winter, on the other hand, half of Maritimes residents say they have enjoyed fewer outdoor activities.

Note: At the time the survey was conducted, the winter season was not yet over.

This is what an online survey conducted from January 25 to February 15 of last year among 242 residents of Nova Scotia (47%), New Brunswick (46%) and Prince Edward Island (7%) reveals.

What activities did they prefer and, above all, how do they see the evolution of their practice this year?

Habit of practicing outdoor activities during the pandemic

There is a lower number of outdoor activities this winter than in summer/fall 2020 (36% say they do not practice any of the activities offered). Hiking remains the flagship activity in all seasons combined, practiced at least once by more than one in two respondents during summer/fall 2020 and by nearly half of respondents this winter (including winter walking and snowshoeing). Unsurprisingly, the beach and swimming were also used by more than 50% of the respondents during the summer season.

Overall, the graphs show us that in summer and winter, the most popular activities are so-called soft activities. Outdoor cultural activities were also popular this summer with nearly a quarter of respondents reporting that they participated at least once during the summer season.

Nature observation and hiking were the activities that saw the greatest increase in practice, with 28% and 20% of respondents respectively saying that they practice these activities more often than before the pandemic. Conversely, 29% of respondents said they had reduced the practice of outdoor cultural activities and 28% their visits to national or regional parks. The trend to enjoy the outdoors close to home may explain this decrease in number.

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In terms of frequency of practice, one respondent out of five engages in their favorite activity once a week. The frequency of practice is higher during the summer season, winter temperatures undoubtedly being an obstacle to more assiduous practice.

The results of the survey show that the pandemic has prompted people to favor places near their homes for their outdoor habits. Indeed, the majority of respondents practiced their outdoor activities very close to their homes. However, we note that the favorite activity in winter is practiced more often (71%) very close to home than in summer/autumn (49%).

Teleworking, an opportunity for outdoor activities? Opinions are mixed among the remote workers surveyed: More than half (52%) say that this professional situation did not give them the opportunity to do outdoor activities more frequently. But on the other hand, this situation was favorable for this chapter for 48% of them. Nevertheless, more than a quarter of respondents who work from home say that they practice outdoor activities much more frequently.

The forecasts for the post-Covid period

The second part of the survey looked at post-pandemic forecasts concerning the practice of activities and preferred destinations in the case of potential future travel.

The craze for the outdoors is not about to run out of steam with a majority planning to do more outdoor activities: 36% plan to keep the same habits acquired during the pandemic and therefore practice more outdoor activities than before. 26% plan to go back to their old habits and do more activities than they are doing right now.

Beyond outdoor activities, Maritimes residents were also questioned about their interest in engaging in other types of activities during a possible trip. 22% expect to participate in festivals and events as a priority, an activity that Maritime residents seem to miss. On the other hand, 40% of respondents cannot yet decide on this question, as the horizon of a future trip is probably still too far away.

The travel outlook for 2021, while optimistic, is strongly linked to the evolution of the pandemic. A majority (68%) of Maritimers expect to travel in 2021, but only 19% are ready to do so regardless of how the pandemic evolves. Only 15% of people have no intention of traveling this year.

The domestic travel trend is continuing as 77% of respondents who plan to travel will prefer to stay in a Maritime province. Overall, two out of three travelers will prioritize local tourism, even when there are no longer any constraints linked to the pandemic.

To conclude

The pandemic has had mixed impacts on the practice of outdoor activities. Overall, Maritimes residents enjoyed fewer outdoor activities than before the pandemic, but for a significant number of them, the pandemic was an opportunity to do more outdoor activities.

Outdoor experiences are considered safer and have the advantage of being practiced without much proximity to other users and of thus adapting more easily to health measures. The enthusiasm for these activities is therefore here to stay with a large proportion of Maritime residents who plan to increase their practices after the pandemic.

Tourism businesses can prepare now to adapt their offer by offering outdoor activities, regardless of their sector of activity (cultural, adventure, catering, etc.). Local customers are still likely to form the heart of customers in the Maritimes during the next tourist season, so it is important to adapt the offer, communication and marketing of activities to this clientele.

Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

Gather everything you know about your target customers or project stakeholders to create fictional individuals with a name, photo, social life, and personality traits. The persona is built from quantitative data (socio-demographic data, survey data, etc.), but also qualitative data that can be perceptions or elements gleaned during interviews.

This tool will allow you to refine the profile of your targets by adding depth to their expectations and needs.

You want to use the personas for your project?

Download our practical and editable tool for free here!

In addition to the FFOM analysis, we focus here on the positive aspects to visualize the context of your organization or project. FOAR analysis (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) encourages you to take a step back and reformulate your weaknesses and threats positively. This exercise is carried out collectively, with all your stakeholders and thus aims to develop the drivers of your organization and use them to move towards change.

This tool will allow you to initiate collective thinking in order to build on the strengths of your organization or project and thus promote the implementation of change.

You want to use theparses FOAR for your project?

Download our practical and editable tool for free here!

In addition to the new challenges that have emerged with the pandemic (teleworking, mobilization for recovery, etc.), the recruitment and retention of the workforce remain challenges that are still present in the tourism sector. While provincial tourism associations offer resources to support managers and businesses, it is also possible to mobilize and retain resources by applying some simple tips such as targeting, communication, feedback, and non-monetary recognition.

The infographic above shows best practices for managing human resources throughout the employee journey.

Case study: a “great” employee experience at Cap-Jaseux Adventure Park

In Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean, Parc Aventure Cap-Jaseux had to deal with the shortage of labor and a high turnover rate that led it to have to close some services in 2019. Rebecca Tremblay, the executive director, shares with us the human resources management actions that have been successfully implemented.

What actions have you put in place to promote the attraction, reception and retention of your employees?

1 — Attraction and recruitment ‍

Target profiles and adapted communication

We used the marketing tool of persona to create profiles and better understand the expectations of our target employees (e.g.: the local student, the student specializing in tourism [adventure, outdoor], early retirees). We then adapted our communication to these profiles, in particular in the choice of platforms for distributing our job offers: platforms for schools in the region, website, Story on our social networks, posting in local businesses. We also have informal agreements with schools in the region that offer tourism techniques. ‍

The Guides' Camp

We offer employees the opportunity to sleep on site. This allows us to extend our recruitment pool to more remote regions and to welcome international interns.

A perfect working environment

Evenings, activities, proximity... We promote and put into practice a pleasant and family working environment. Numerous activities are organized and promote a warm working environment. Employees can also invite a loved one to our evenings.

Discounts and free

Finally, access to all park activities is free for our employees. They are also offered a free pass for each month they work that they can share with family and friends.

2 — Communication, at the heart of hospitality

Employee triathlon

Since 2008, the Employee Triathlon has been held every season, an event that promotes welcome and integration. Following a presentation of the organization, all employees participate in the activities of the site. In addition to familiarizing yourself with the service offer, it allows you to get to know each other. The evening ends around a fire and they are offered the opportunity to sleep in the accommodations usually reserved for customers.

This year, we are offering training common to all sectors of activity, oriented towards customer experience.

Companionship

A mentoring system is also in place where new employees are paired with old employees.

3- Recognition for successful retention

We have set up a committee to ensure that the actions we already take remain, but also to improve it and align them with the values of the organization. For example, we are currently considering a system to reward good deeds in terms of health and safety and sustainable development, two values at the heart of our DNA.

Celebrating birthdays with small attentions, offering Popsicles and local products are accessible gestures that demonstrate that we recognize the value of the individual.

What results?

A very tangible level of engagement and a strong sense of belonging that are achieved through the loyalty of a large number of employees, season after season, and especially through significant word-of-mouth. Our employees had a unique experience and they are talking about it! This year we had three times more applications than the number of job offers.

What advice could you give for managers of small and medium-sized tourism businesses?

Two? *laughs*

1 — Do not neglect the commitment of management and managers in the process. Support the initiatives of our teams.

2 — Communication! Convey information consistently and learn to communicate together. We are still working on this, it is ongoing.

And you, what are you going to put in place to seduce and retain your future employees?

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Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

Better understand the current situation of your organization in its environment and improve your strategic planning. List the strengths and weaknesses internal to your organization as well as the opportunities and threats generated by your external environment. You will get a true picture of your organization and will be in a position to seize opportunities and maximize your strengths in the future.

This tool will allow you to develop effective strategies to achieve your goals. It can be used for your organization, competitors, or for a project.

You want to use the FFOM matrix for your project?

‍Download our practical and editable tool for free here!

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Combined with a good customer knowledge strategy, a loyalty program is a proven tool in terms of customer retention. But why focus on loyalty programs?

• Bringing back your hard-won customers;
• Increase their expenses;
• Create a personalized relationship with each of them;
• Strengthen the reputation of your company by making your loyal customers ambassadors;
• And above all: feed your customer database that will be used to improve your services, products and loyalty program... In short, a virtuous circle!
  

New technologies have taken loyalty programs to another level (data collection, personalization, customer relationship management, ease of use, etc.), while maintaining the same basic principle: offering customers rewards in proportion to their expenses, to encourage them to come back.

A paper or digital program?

In the age of 100% digital, the classic stamp card may seem obsolete. However, due to the simplicity of implementation and the modest budget it requires, the implementation of a loyalty program with paper cards remains an appropriate option for small and medium-sized businesses.

Loyalty programs with a paper card

The advantages:

• Simplicity and economy! You don't need to use a digital solution provider. The budget required is therefore less compared to an online loyalty program.
• Accessibility! It is a program accessible to all clients, regardless of their ease with digital tools or their access to the network.

They are suitable for a program based on 10 stamps = 1 free item (or a discount).

Example: Coffee Soko, which also offers coworking spaces, uses paper loyalty cards with neat visuals. The program is available in 3 paper cards depending on the target clientele.

Digital loyalty programs

However, a digital loyalty program is more responsive to changing consumer behaviors and business needs in terms of personalization and data collection. It can be available in the form of an online account or a mobile application.

For customers: a mobile and personalized program

• Adapted to its digital habits: user journey increasingly focused on mobile platforms (information search, online reservations, contactless mobile payment, etc.).
• No longer be encumbered with paper supports and thus avoid the multiplication of cards in the wallet. It also prevents irritants (forgetting or losing the card).
• A more engaging program thanks to personalized rewards made possible by data collection.
  

For businesses: data collection

A digital loyalty program will allow you to build up an essential customer database to personalize offers and communication according to their profile (e.g.: new customer, occasional, regular, regular, VIP). Of course, they must agree to share this data. The provider of the chosen technological solution can advise you on the implementation of a personal data protection policy.

Loyalty programs in partnerships

As with many marketing operations, creating strategic partnerships with other businesses is an opportunity to study. You can set up a loyalty program in partnership with a complementary business that your customers also frequent. The partnership must obviously be a win-win so that each party benefits from the benefits of the operation.

Since buying local is at the heart of concerns, a regional loyalty program can then become a way to encourage customers to spend locally. Embrace the principle of co-opetition by joining forces with other regional businesses.

Platforms like Freebees make it possible to develop this type of regional programs. By buying at participating stores, customers accumulate dollars to spend at another participating store. The platform also offers services to businesses (customer relationship management, marketing support, performance monitoring, etc.).

From membership to reward

For an attractive loyalty program, two key words should be remembered: simplicity and generosity!

A simple membership system

Whether paper or digital, registration should be as simple as possible for customers in order not to demotivate them: use short forms and instead invite the customer to fill in their personal information later.

A fun program

The point system, like the programs of airlines and hotel groups, has also spread in the restaurant and retail sectors.

The principle? Customers earn points that they can then exchange for rewards. Attention, the conversion of points must remain simple!

How do I earn points?

• For the purchase of products or services. The most common way of working is based on $1 spent = 1 point earned, but it's up to you to establish your own points system based on the value you assign to each product and service.
• When the customer takes special actions such as leaving a review on TripAdvisor, rating the business on Facebook, or referring a friend.
• During special events: for example, organize days during which the points are doubled.
• While playing! And yes, gamification (Gamification) encourages participation by stimulating the spirit of competition and the feeling of success.
  

Chocolats Favoris encourages its customers to take on challenges to earn points. The application ChocoFan allows them to post photos of the challenges completed, to track the number of points accumulated and the rewards they can exchange.

Attractive rewards

The attractiveness of your loyalty program is mainly based on the added value perceived by your customers and the benefits they derive from it. They need to be able to benefit from the rewards quickly. They can be defined in advance (e.g. after 9 nights, the tenth is free) or exchangeable according to the customer's preferences. Try to vary the types of benefits offered:

• Products or services: a coffee, an overnight stay, a sample, etc.
• Rebates or gift vouchers in the form of credit
  

Recognizing the commitment of the most loyal customers by giving them a VIP status is a winning strategy. In his program Big Drinker, DavidsTea promises a special status to the most loyal customers. They receive gifts, exclusive tea samples, invitations to VIP events.

Stay in control!

Offering attractive rewards is great, but make sure your program is profitable. It is therefore essential to follow these few tips before starting:

• Define quantifiable goals before the program is implemented;

Examples: Increase my turnover by 10% in one year. Have 10% of customers who come at least 5 times per year

• Set a budget or a portion of your budget that you allocate to customer retention.
• Measure the results of your program, both in terms of financial profitability, but also in terms of brand awareness and customer satisfaction.
• Stay on the lookout! By collecting customer reviews, you can improve your loyalty program by limiting irritants or adapting the benefits it provides.

Our survey service

We can help you improve your customer knowledge by using surveys that will allow you to obtain an updated portrait of the profile of your current customers, their buying habits, etc., in order to improve your customer experience and why not assess their interest in accumulating points in your establishment as part of a loyalty program.

To find out more, contact us !

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Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

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Get a concrete vision of your project in a simple and complete document that echoes the Lean Startup method. Lean Startup allows you to validate your project or product by a series of back and forth between you and the target market (panelists). The canvas shows in particular the problems that potential customers may encounter, the solutions to be implemented, the revenues resulting from the project, and the value proposition of your project. Other information such as distribution channels, costs, or competitive advantages make this tool an excellent starting point for writing your business plan.

This tool will allow you to verify the viability of your project on the market in a simple and visual way.

You want to use the Lean Canvas for your project?

Download our practical and editable tool for free here!

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Order the actions to be implemented according to their impact and the efforts required. The prioritization matrix is often used following a Brainstorm having generated a large number of improvement ideas and allows each of these ideas to be prioritized. It is also a way of eliminating certain actions that require a lot of effort but generate few results.

This tool will allow you to see more clearly and to order priority actions among a multitude of ideas. An action plan can result from this analysis.

You want to use the action prioritization matrix for your project?

‍Download our practical and editable tool for free here.

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Visually represent the type of relationships that stakeholders have with your organization or project and the evolution of these relationships. The matrix highlights the influence that stakeholders have, but also the influence you have on them. It allows you to visualize the intensity, frequency, and type of commitment that they will require of you. Properly identifying and then categorizing the stakeholders according to their importance to the project or to your organization will allow you to maximize the potential for success of your actions.

This tool will allow you to properly assess each of the stakeholders and develop a more effective engagement strategy.

You want to use the stakeholder matrix for your project?

Download our practical and editable tool for free here!

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On the one hand, visualize the environmental impacts and benefits of your activities over your entire life cycle, by putting into perspective the activities prior to the customer experience and those that occur simultaneously or later. On the other hand, observe your relationships with your main stakeholders and the mutual influence exerted, thus highlighting your social impact.

This tool will allow you to integrate in-depth consideration of these two areas of sustainable development into your business model.

You want to use the Sustainable business model framework for your project? Download our practical and editable tool for free by clicking on the image below.
To know how to use it well, see our article Develop sustainable tourism through the business model framework.

Download the document here

This is what a survey conducted this summer for Experience Acadie among 349 residents of Nova Scotia (52%), New Brunswick (37%) and Prince Edward Island (11%) reveals.

For more than half of the respondents, sustainable tourism is above allSupporting local businesses and respect the way of life of the host community.

Price, a decisive factor

Price is both the main factor that influences the choice of a tourism company (89%), but also a barrier to the adoption of responsible travel practices that are perceived as more expensive (38%).

Less influential than price, sustainable development initiatives weigh in the balance with nearly 7 out of 10 respondents saying that they influence them quite a bit, if not a lot, in their choice of accommodation, restaurant or attraction.

It should also be noted that a large majority of respondents would be ready to pay at least 10% more for a more sustainable stay (71%), especially for local products (78%) and more responsible activities (73%).

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Sustainable measures that most influence respondents per pillar in choosing a tourism company (3 separate questions)

Nearly 6 out of 10 respondents say they are influenced in their choice if a company demonstrates its involvement in the host community.

For half of the respondents, the reduction and sorting of waste, as well as the purchase and use of local products are the sustainable measures that most influence them in choosing a tourism company. In addition, since a quarter of respondents say they are influenced by eco-responsible certification, why not take the approach so far?

With regard to the economic pillar, the results show the importance given to participation in the local economy, whether through the creation of quality jobs for locals or by supporting the economic fabric of the region.

Once at destination

The main eco-responsible actions taken during their stays over the last three years are the local trips (54%) and support for local businesses (53%). Travel restrictions and business support campaigns impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may explain these trends.

More than a third of them claim to have used the soft mobility at destination (e.g. walking and cycling), and more than one in four respondents have already used collective or shared transport or electric transport once there (27%).

The most promising activities

The adoption of sustainable practices also involves choosing activities that have little impact on the environment or that contribute to local development.

Soft outdoor activities such as hiking, nature observation or even paddle boarding attract nearly 60% of respondents. Agrotourism and the discovery of local products seem to be the type of activities that interest respondents the least, although more than a quarter of them would like to practice them.

Among the most prominent gourmet tourism activities, we find Visiting a public market (62%) and a meal in a restaurant that highlights local products (50%). The results also show a strong interest in participating in festivals or gourmet events as well as in buying local products.

What are the opportunities for businesses?

The use of local products in catering is the sustainable tourism option that generates the most enthusiasm from respondents. Conversely, the possibility of having access to special diet options (e.g. vegetarianism) is not a priority since it comes last in the ranking.

Regarding the main obstacles that limit the adoption of responsible travel practices, the respondents are unanimous: The lack of information is the main obstacle. The fear of greenwashing (Grennwashing) is also a barrier for more than a third of respondents.

Take action!

This survey shows that visitors' expectations in terms of responsible business engagement are increasingly high. Here are some recommendations for responding to them.

Inform and communicate

Are you already doing a lot of responsible actions in your company? Tell your customers about it! Not only will they have a better understanding of your commitment, but they will also be able to get inspired:

• Adapt your tone to your type of clientele by avoiding being too moralistic. We invite you to read about this item the Tourism Monitoring Network;
• Share your best practices on your social networks;
• Engage in a certification process.

The organization's ECONOMIC NUTRITION brand Shorefast is directly inspired by the nutritional labelling of foods that allow consumers to make informed decisions. Applied to the tourism sector, this brand informs visitors about the use made of its expenses and how it impacts the local economy.
This brand is currently used by their hotel Fogo Island Inn.

Supporting and engaging in the community

• Partner with local suppliers and show them off! Why not include a list of all producers on the back of your menu?

• Highlight the know-how of your region, for example by exhibiting works or by welcoming local artists.
• Get involved in a program to promote the employment of people with disabilities, newcomers or people from minority groups.
• Create partnerships with community organizations in the region: setting up a food waste reduction program with a food bank, hosting certain community events, etc.

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Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.

Third places and hybrid places: what are we talking about?

The concept of third places (Third Place An (English) was gradually adopted about ten years ago to designate spaces for meetings and practices that promote hybridization. Since “a third place is not defined by what it is, but by what we do about it”, there are as many definitions as there are places. However, France Tiers-Lieux presents the 5 elements that characterize them:

• Places rooted in their territory which are born from a desire to undertake local businesses and bring together a diversity of local actors.
• Places for experimentation, creation and innovation dedicated to practice. They are spaces that are evolving and adaptable.
• Places for cooperation and contribution where users are involved in the project, animate it and make it evolve.
• Hybrid places in which economic and social utility activities are found. Economic and governance models are also hybrid.

• Places open and friendly who they favor hospitality and facilitate meetings. They are creators of social connections.

The hybridization of uses and audiences is therefore one of the characteristics of a third place, but not all hybrid places are third places. The concept of hybrid places is therefore more inclusive than that of third places.

What are the links between hybrid places and tourism?

As part of the “Photography of third places” carried out by the Third-Places Cooperative in 2016, 32% of third places say they receive tourists or vacationers and 56% welcome nomadic workers.

The next examples make it possible to understand how the phenomenon of hybrid places contributes to the tourist dynamic of a territory.

1. The hybridization of places to meet the needs of customers

In tourism, the concept of hybridization is not new and has become a way of promoting new experiences (e.g.: Glamping) and to adapt to changes in customer behavior (e.g.: Workation, Staycation, Bleisure).

The most common model in terms of the hybridization of places in tourism is undoubtedly the link between accommodation and catering since many accommodation establishments also offer a catering service. But new models are emerging, offering services that are open to all and accessible to the local population.

‍Evi Hob: rural hotels

Evi Hob, in France, has created three “hobs” in rural areas with the mission of revitalizing territories through a new tourist and leisure offer: local products in the restaurant, local beer bar, theme evenings, concerts and exhibitions by local artists, concerts and exhibitions by local artists, specific events, etc. With its concept, Evi Hob targets both tourist and local and professional customers.

2. The hybridization of places to meet the needs of the community — The example of the mix of tourism and scientific research

La Uapishka station located at the foot of the Groulx Mountains, in the heart of the Uapishka Biodiversity Reserve, is another model of an inspiring hybrid place. This co-management company was formed by the Pessamit Innu Council and the Manicouagan-Uapishka World Biosphere Reserve (RMBMU). It combines a mission to acquire scientific knowledge with an ecotourism vocation. The site offers accommodation, food and outdoor activities, as well as logistical support associated with scientific activities. It thus welcomes several types of clients (affiliated university, student, government authority, etc.).

3. Third places, actors in the tourist offer of a territory

For many third places, accommodation and catering are a way of generating autonomous income. They then participate in the local tourist offer.

Thus, the Jean-Moulin Workshops in Plouhinec welcome large groups and thus make up for the lack of accommodation capacity in hotel establishments in the region. Seasonal workers are also accommodated on site.

La Maison Glaz, accommodation at the heart of the business model

Located on the peninsula of Gâvres, in Brittany on a former military site, the Glaz House was born out of a desire to revitalize rural areas. This activist third place is intended to be a place to raise awareness and reflect on ecological transition and climate change. There is a shared workspace, accommodation for groups and you can attend workshops, conferences and concerts. Its economic model is based on welcoming MICE customers (seminars, groups, etc.) and renting for events. With 12,000 annual visitors, Maison Glaze can keep several full-time employees all year round and attracts “activist tourism.”

4. Third places, tools for the enhancement of heritage

With environmental and social vocations, many third places have emerged from projects to temporarily occupy space (wasteland) or to rehabilitate historical and/or industrial heritage. The examples are numerous, such as the Village at Pied-du-Courant in Montreal, La Recyclerie in Paris (former train station) or the International City of the French Language which will see the light of day at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts. These places are then an opportunity to rediscover the material and intangible heritage of a territory.

Mother House: an inspiring example in Quebec

In Baie-Saint-Paul, the organization Mother House is an example in terms of heritage rehabilitation and hybrid places. This NPO's mandate is to manage the heritage complex of the former convent. His vocation? “Making the former convent of the Petites Franciscaines de Marie the heart of sustainable innovation in Baie-Saint-Paul”. Today, the complex is occupied by various innovative companies and combines numerous services:

• Rental of commercial spaces for companies and associations, room rental (work, cultural or corporate event);
• One shared workspace promoting entrepreneurship;
• One Museum itinerary with exhibitions and interpretation that allows you to discover the history of the place and that is part of a sustainable tourism perspective;
• One alternative accommodation service offered to workers, students and interns in order to attract and retain workers. In particular, this accommodation made it possible to welcome students from the first cohort of the AEC Guide program in adventure tourism and ecotourism in collaboration with Formation Continue Charlevoix.

“Maison Mère remains a valuable partner for the tourism industry because of its museum history and the nature of the activities of some of its occupants, including, in particular, the Auberge des Balcons, the Mousse Café and the Cuisine & Cinema.”

Mother House will soon welcome Espace Bleu in Charlevoix as part of the government project of Blue spaces, a network of cultural and heritage sites whose aim is to preserve built heritage while contributing to the economic, cultural and tourist vitality of Quebec.

5. The hybridization of reception areas to animate the territory

“Often the Guéret Tourist Office refers people to us who are more in search of social ties, who want to know about cultural events or who want to discover something else.” The Hardware store, a third place in Guéret

Today, there is a real potential to diversify uses in tourist reception areas. In France, many tourist offices are working to become regional organizers and to build more links between visitors and residents. Without being able to be qualified as third places, some tourist offices are rethinking their spaces and services (e.g.: game library, library, digital museum, shared workspace, bike park, etc.). I refer you on this subject to This article by Jean-Luc Boulin published on etourisme.info last April. Through three concrete examples, it illustrates how tourist offices in France have opened up to residents.

A solution for more sustainable tourism and territorial development

Through these numerous inspiring examples illustrate that the mix of uses, places and audiences appears as a solution to develop our territories more sustainably. Still not convinced? Here is a non-exhaustive list of the benefits of hybrid places:

• Meet the needs of the local community (territory, residents, residents, businesses, associations) and of a new tourist clientele looking for authentic places and meetings;
• Are more resilient, as they are often places with multiple statuses and funding sources. The classic business model is to rent multi-purpose spaces to associations, start-ups, etc.
• The hybridization of uses and users offers the opportunity to counter seasonality and to create annual jobs;
• Maximize partnerships with local actors and promote the social acceptability of tourism;
• Participate in the development of entrepreneurship.

So what are we waiting for?

Still timid in Canada, third places are very common in France. If today, France has more than 3000 TL, supported by the public authorities and grouped into a network, it is because the State has recognized the social value of third places and their value as a laboratory for innovations.

In essence, a third place cannot be imposed on the community. They are born through local collective action, in response to a need or problem of the territory, and then become places at the service of wider societal transitions (tourism, agriculture, digital technology, work, culture, learning).

Thus, if we want to see this type of place multiply in our territories, it is up to us to approach our public authorities, to make them aware of their importance. It is up to us, project leaders and tourism actors, to work more in partnership with other sectors of activity, other actors outside tourism to create hybrid models that are more attractive and resilient.

‍To go further, our selection of articles on territorial and tourism development:

(Re) discover your territory: inspiring initiatives!

Consulting residents, a must today!

And also‍

The Third-Lieux Cooperative and the MONA (2021). Small Precise Third-Places and Tourism.‍

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Discussing with its counterparts the problems experienced on a daily basis in order to shed new light on them, such was the objective of a summit organized between Touriscope and O Strategies. Both consulting companies, they operate in parallel in different industries with different expertise. They are not in direct competition. However, they have a lot in common.

The three-hour workshop was thus organized in order to benefit from the collective intelligence of the group and learn from each other. Of course, the association between the two companies is not new. Camille Derelle Aubut and Myriane Ouellette met during a previous professional experience and founded their respective firms at the same time. They often talk about their reality, which helps them a lot. Their businesses are both based on shared values such as sharing, listening, and shared leadership. It was therefore quite natural that they came up with the idea of bringing their teams together so that everyone could benefit.

The Touriscope team wants to highlight this initiative, in order to inspire other organizations to use it in order to stimulate creativity and innovation.

The open forum

The workshop format selected for the occasion is called an “open forum”. It is a very flexible meeting methodology that makes it possible to deal with a complex theme in a short time. Participants can discuss topics that are important to them and take responsibility for problem solving. Even if it is structured, you never really know what will happen there. It is possible to do it in person or virtually. Here is the course of the workshop:

1. The icebreaker

A first icebreaker activity is necessary as in any type of structured encounter, in order to be fully in the present moment. This is especially important when not all participants know each other. Of course, there are lots of ways to break the ice. For example, participants can be given a few minutes to discuss as a team of two and then introduce each other to the rest of the group.

2. Setting the tone for the workshop

Although in an open forum, participants are left to decide what topics will be explored in depth, it is important to give them a framework. This can be done through a theme or a question for the exercise. In this case, the theme was to facilitate the exchange of best practices between the two companies.

It is also time to specify the operating rules for the workshop. The open forum is based on the following principles:

○ When a participant feels that they no longer contribute anything to the discussion or that they are no longer learning, they are free to move on to another work session.

○ The people present are the right people. All the interventions are relevant and enrich the debate.

○ It starts when it starts. That is, there is a great deal of flexibility in time management and debates start when the participants are ready.

○ When it's over, it's over. A discussion can end before the time runs out. Participants are free to join another work session.

○ What is happening is what was meant to happen. The organizers don't get involved in the discussions and let the participants shape the activity.

3. Participants suggest topics for discussion

In an open forum, there is no established agenda. It is the participants who propose the topics they want to discuss and invite other participants to join them physically or virtually in a meeting space. This ensures that all questions that are important to participants are raised. In a three-hour workshop format, you can offer two or three discussion periods with an allotted time of 30 or 45 minutes, for example. It is therefore necessary to divide the topics of discussion by location and time.

Although each organization has its own context, it is easy to imagine a multitude of common areas for reflection. During the workshop as an example, questions were raised in particular:

○ Recruiting candidates in line with organizational culture

○ Understanding customer needs

○ Daily time management

○ Effective project management techniques and tools

○ Internal and external communication

○ Learning in a work context, how can it be promoted?

○ etc.

4. Workshop sessions

Participants are invited to exchange freely. Those who have proposed a topic become “responsible” for it, among other things, by taking notes that will serve as a report. Like all participants, they still have the right to leave this discussion and move on to another one, if they feel that their questions have been answered and prefer to contribute to another discussion.

The discussion ends when all participants have exhausted the topic. These go to the other meeting spaces where discussions are still ongoing. At the agreed time, we move on to the next discussion period or to the return to the group.

5. The return to the group or the closing plenary

It is important to come back as a group with all participants, since not all participants participated in all exchanges. Everyone is invited, if they wish, to share their impressions and learnings, the concrete actions envisaged, etc. It is up to the facilitator to close the workshop and invite the participants to continue the collaboration beyond the activity.

6. Sharing the results after the workshop

Taking notes during the workshops allows the results to be shared with the participants afterwards. This must be done quickly in order to maintain the momentum of the activity and stimulate the involvement of individuals in the implementation of the solutions identified.

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At Touriscope, we believe that the best ideas come from a change of perspective. We also believe that it is important to give ourselves the time to take a step back and to reflect collectively on the problems encountered in order to bring out solutions that we would not have thought of otherwise.

Greater collaboration between tourism players in a region can only push everyone up! And you, what topics would you like to discuss with your peers?

For more information on this workshop facilitation method, check out this resource.

In recent years, destinations have turned to locals to play the role of hosts and ambassadors. This quest for authenticity has influenced reception strategies, marketing efforts and the development of the tourist offer. For two years, in the absence of visitors from further afield, these same residents have been courted by all actors in the ecosystem. What if we asked them for their opinion on all this? Here is an innovative idea! Not that much.

Touriscope is carrying out more and more surveys among the inhabitants of a territory for its customers. These often take the form of surveys, but other ways of seeking public opinion are possible, such as focus groups and interviews.

This trend is particularly observed among destinations, but this approach is relevant for all types of actors, in particular the promoters of tourism projects or the managers of existing organizations.

Consulting residents: 2 main objectives

There are many reasons for collecting residents' opinions, but we can group them under two main objectives:

1. Orienting tourism development

2. Assess their perceptions and ensure the social acceptability of an activity or project

1- Orienting tourism development

Here, residents are first surveyed as current or potential customers. Living nearby, they represent opportunities for repeat visits. So it pays to attract them! In addition, since they travel short distances, the carbon footprint of their visit is lower than those who come from far away. This is therefore consistent with any sustainable tourism development and climate change mitigation approach.

You can design a separate questionnaire for them, or draw specific conclusions about them as a customer segment of traditional market research. To do this, we ensure that a sufficient number of local respondents are collected by applying a geographic location criterion.

What questions to ask?

Typical market research questions are asked, such as:

- What types of activities did you do at (the place studied)? and during which seasons?
- What are your favorites?
- What types of activities would you like to see more of (the location studied)?
- What are, for you, the main obstacles to frequenting (the place studied)?
- Etc.

The work we've done for our clients isn't public, but here's an example from the web. In this study aimed at developing a vision for the development of Mont-Sainte-Anne, near Quebec City, residents' answers were isolated on certain questions.

How do you use the results?

Market research is generally used to refine one's knowledge of its various customer segments in order to adapt one's commercial strategies. Depending on the role of the organization, this may include, for example:

- to market certain types of activities rather than others or to support their development
- to adapt its communication efforts to resident customers, such as dedicating a section on its website to them, etc.

2- Assess their perceptions and ensure social acceptability

In such an approach, residents are considered, as they should be, as stakeholders in the organization. That is to say, it considers that its activities have positive or negative impacts on them, which it must take into account. It is one of the foundations of the social component of sustainable tourism.

Thus, the organization behind the approach seeks to know the opinion of residents on various subjects as well as to understand what are the minimum conditions to be put in place for its activities to integrate harmoniously into its natural and human environment.

What questions to ask?  

Depending on the context, we can seek to know the perception of residents about tourism in general or about a particular project, as well as its impact on their quality of life. Here are some sample questions:

In your opinion, does tourism (at the place studied) have a fairly positive or negative effect on...
In your opinion, will the (project studied) have a fairly positive or negative effect on...

- local economic development,
- the quality of life,
- infrastructures,
- the local culture,
- the leisure and entertainment offer,
- the preservation of the environment,
- transport and travel,
- real estate development and access to property
- etc.

What is your level of agreement with the following statements?

- I am proud to see visitors coming to visit (the place studied).
- The tourist development of (the place studied) takes into account my well-being.
- (the location studied) should continue its efforts to attract more visitors.
- etc.

Here are two international examples to inspire you.

10XCopenhagen, Denmark
Bordeaux Tourism, Francia

“In general, you would say that the development of tourism in Bordeaux is generating...”

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Another approach particularly inspires us on the French side. Initiated by several committed actors, This citizen consultation gathered the opinion of residents and a number of international tourists on the concrete actions to be prioritized to make tourism more sustainable. Participants had to make proposals and vote on others, then the algorithm grouped the ideas together. Here is an overview of the results:

More in line with the COVID-19 pandemic, Destination Canada regularly publishes the Tourism Sentiment Index. You'll find data by province on residents' willingness to welcome visitors back and their sense of safety. Follow this link to access to the most recent report.

How do you use the results?

The diagnosis made makes it possible to deepen one's understanding of certain issues related to the sustainable development of the tourist offer and thus enrich strategic thinking.

The data collected could lead you to...

- Identify priority actions to move towards more sustainable tourism
- Collaborate with other actors to alleviate irritants so that tourism integrates more harmoniously into its environment
- Adapt your promotional and awareness-raising activities among your various target audiences
- Play a leadership role with stakeholders and funders to demonstrate the relevance of tourism development

If the exercise is repeated, the collected data may become indicators to measure social performance in sustainable tourism. To go deeper into this topic, we suggest our article Rethinking tourism performance in a sustainable way.

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Are you considering such an approach and would like to discuss the possibilities of support by our team? Contact us without hesitation!

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‍To go further, our selection of articles on local tourism:

The ABC of a seduction operation with residents - 8 tips

(Re) discover your territory: inspiring initiatives!‍‍

Communication on climate change is currently experiencing its biggest challenge. How to raise awareness and engage actors in the path of climate action without being pessimistic, alarmist, boring or fatalistic? How can the discourse on sustainable transition adapt well to transform our feeling of powerlessness or guilt into participatory will and concrete actions?

What if it was through the game rather than through words?

TouriScope is trained to animate the Climate Fresco (see the details of our service), whose exponential success in Europe is now spreading to North America. It is a collaborative card game focused on understanding climate change whose objective is to make citizens aware of climate issues and encourage them to take action. And it works!

A fun and friendly 3-hour workshop, it allows participants to take ownership of the challenges of climate change and to become aware of their capacity for action. Recently arrived in Quebec and at a time of many discussions about more sustainable and responsible tourism, why not use it as a first tool to raise awareness among your employees, colleagues and partners?

Learning through play also works for adults

The Climate Fresco Association, created in 2018, was created from the observation that climate change is a complex collective problem and, even today, very poorly understood by the entire population. But also from the conviction that to feel concerned, you must measure its extent. However, it is proven that children learn better by playing. So why not adults too!

Who are the players?

Everyone can participate, from citizens to professionals, through territories, municipalities, institutions and destinations. It is an effective educational tool that communities, government institutions, businesses, businesses, schools, territorial development organizations or sectoral associations use to educate and mobilize.

Deculpabilize in order to act

Convinced that to act, you must understand, the Association relies on the simplicity of explanations and on collective intelligence to bring about serene and non-judgmental exchanges. The aim is to (re) put everyone on the same level of understanding.

What exactly are we playing?

Participants must place maps in a specific order to represent the “climate system” in which we live today (hence the idea of Fresco). Each map presents an issue, an impact or a consequence of climate change and is accompanied by a short legend that allows you to define in a few words what we are talking about. Once this complex system has been put together in the right order, participants are invited to switch to solution mode and see what actions they could take collectively and individually.

Part 1: we look at our maps:

The first part of the game therefore consists in first creating a “fresco” of the climate, that is to say a cause-consequence frieze, by positioning the cards next to each other according to a principle of causality or rebound effect. Structured in several “game phases” (4 in total), the animator gradually gives each of the players one or two cards that must be placed. Each card represents a cause, an impact, a risk, or a consequence in turn.

If participants can know several issues through their personal knowledge, they will especially be surprised to learn more and as much in such a short time. For example, do you know what exactly we are talking about when we talk about energy balance or ocean acidification? Do you know about radiative forcing? And do you really know which industries emit the most CO2?

Part 2: we make connections. It gets complicated (just a bit)!

Once the maps are positioned in an order (causes, impacts, risks, consequences) that makes sense for everyone, the animator invites us to make more complex connections. This is where collective intelligence once again demonstrates all its added value, because the fact of being able to exchange, ask questions, oppose ideas, reinforce someone's point automatically puts us in a position of openness and listening.

This phase of the game is very stimulating, because we realize that with everyone's different knowledge (however minimal it may be), we end up being able to identify logical links and make scientific and realistic connections.  

Part 3: we compare the sectors that emit GHGs

Thanks to existing data in each country where the Climate Fresco is given, participants have the opportunity to compare certain sectors of activity with each other as well as more precise components. As we know, this calculation is a crucial issue in achieving GHG reduction goals and in taking concrete actions. And visually, it has the expected impact...

Part 4: let's take action!

After a period of fruitful exchanges in a learning context, we move on to action and imagine simple actions within our reach, at the professional level or in the private sphere. By using a prioritization matrix based on the level of effort versus the effectiveness of the measure, we are more likely to become aware of the most promising actions.

From citizen participant to citizen animator

Raising awareness of climate issues among as many citizens as possible is the objective. And since an informed citizen is worth two (or three or four or millions), the founders thought of the game in such a way as to create a virtuous circle of learning citizens capable of appropriating new knowledge and transmitting it in turn. In short, anyone can take the training to lead this workshop and raise awareness in turn.

A workshop that Touriscope has adapted for the tourism sector!

Because we need a shared understanding of climate change in order to take constructive action. Interested organizations can contact us now to organize this workshop. Our trainer can travel or the workshop can be done online.

Learn more about our service The Climate Mural - Tourism

Useful links:

La Fresque du Climat Quebec - Official Facebook page
The Climate Mural - International association website

We believe that tourism is one of the tools to be mobilized to reconnect human beings with the territory and its inhabitants. Indeed, it allows you to open your eyes by setting foot elsewhere, to open up to others through encounters, to learn and to be informed. Let's start by defining the socio-ecological transition and then let's continue with six levers that tourism organizations have at their disposal to promote reconnection.

The socio-ecological transition in a nutshell

In the coming decades, our societies will experience profound transformations due to global warming. Some of these transformations will be chosen, in order to limit global warming, and others will be undergone (extreme climate events, pandemics, population displacements, etc.). That is why a long-term vision must be adopted today.

Socio-ecological transition refers to a societal transformation that leads from a model that prioritizes economic growth, to a model that has a sustainable long-term environmental impact and takes into account social issues of equity and justice.

On this subject, to paraphrase Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the important thing is not so much to predict the future, but rather to strive to make it possible. The Transition Paths Project, led by the University of Montreal and Space for Life, aims to mobilize knowledge from several disciplines and to collectively identify paths that have the potential to engage society in its transition. Through the territorial component of the project, a vision of the desirable future by 2040 is emerging:

The need to reconnect

We believe that this theme of reconnection is particularly promising for the tourism industry, which has a real potential to contribute. Transition paths defines this connection as follows:

“Let the majority of people feel connected to its living environment in its social, cultural, landscape and environmental components. Let solidarity and collaboration be at the heart of our societies with social ties strengthened at various levels.”

Why is it needed? To quote Transitional Pathways, city residents “like to spend time in nature, but their lifestyles are substantially disconnected from natural ecosystems.” This is because we live in comfortable homes, work indoors for the most part, and only indirectly depend on nature for our livelihood. Moreover, on the social level, the current climate is one of sharpening divisions rather than solidarity. So how can tourism help turn the tide?

Six levers that tourism has at its disposal to promote reconnection

The desire to reconnect to one's living environment, which can be defined from ultra-local to international, and the desire to cultivate a sense of belonging are not only wishes for the future. This is a trend that is already being observed through different products and ways of consuming recreational tourism experiences. We present six levers that organizations have, along with examples.

1- Promote local and seasonal products

Today's visitors are looking for authenticity and uniqueness, which is met by local products, especially handicrafts as well as fresh and processed foods. In addition, seasonal products in the food supply contribute to reconnecting people with the harvest cycle rather than expecting constant diversity based on imports. More and more restaurant owners are interested in it. Project La Ruche, at the gateway to Gaspésie, also combines agriculture, shops, country food and ecological values.

2- Offer entertaining educational excursions

Several types of tourist experiences integrate the educational dimension very well and allow us to develop our understanding of a variety of subjects while being accessible and fun. Agrotourism is particularly well suited to this, because it allows us to discover the territory by offering us food according to the seasons while creating links, in particular between urban residents and the agricultural world. That's what theVal-Notre-Dame Abbey with its agro-forestry activities and workshops as well as Traktour, a young company that offers excursions to meet farmers.

3- Present exhibitions and offer interpretation tools

Interpretation tools can strengthen ties with the territory as well as with the communities visited, and cultivate relationships between cultures and solidarity. They say you like what you know.

Museum exhibitions allow you to learn about issues, communities or territories without necessarily traveling there. Inspiring examples include exhibitions such as Indigenous Voices of Today presented at the McCord Museum in Montreal. The development of the Espaces Bleus network, a project of the Quebec government, is precisely aimed at promoting our cultural heritage and contributing to local identity.

Podcasts, on the other hand, can reach a large audience whether they are on site or not. This example of Balado-discovery about Saint-Boniface in Manitoba, offers a guided tour of the local Francophone and Métis communities, allowing you to appreciate the heritage of the place.

The various panels and interpretive trails are an excellent way to get visitors to discover the behind the scenes that they like to admire while they are there, whether they are in an urban or natural environment, with a historical, cultural or environmental theme. In this regard, the Devil's Mountain Regional Park that I visited this summer impressed me by the quality and diversity of the information shared about his career.

4- Encourage meetings

Strengthening social ties sometimes requires breaking down prejudices. Tourism can exacerbate them or contribute to deconstructing them by promoting authentic encounters where open-mindedness reigns.

This can take different forms, from classic guided tours to immersive activities such as discovering a profession (here is an example of a package ofsea trip with a fisherman in Îles-de-la-Madeleine). Some forms of accommodation such as bed and breakfasts or homestays also constitute opportunities, as do third places and hybrid places, by meeting the needs of both communities and visitors.

Go further! Check out our article about third places!

5- Organize events and celebrations

Events, which can be small or large, are another way to celebrate the passing of the seasons, harvest time (for example Grape Harvest Festival of Magog-Orford), local traditions or any other particularity of the territory, in order to reinforce the feeling of belonging. They can also promote closer ties between cultures that coexist in a territory, such as French-speaking festivals in provinces with an English-speaking majority (small selection here) or Aboriginal cultural events such as The powwows.

6- Promote reconnection in your communication campaigns

Communication campaigns can contribute to making this connection desirable and sought after by visitors. The File on slow travel (slow tourism) by Bonjour Québec in Beside magazine is an example. Indeed, this form of tourism invites travelers to take their time and discover the territory through its heritage, culture, know-how and local products in particular.

On the video side, we can think of the new movie Resonances from Vaolo. The countryside Connections found by Tourisme Charlevoix also uses this vein by featuring various actors from the community who talk about their relationship to the unique Charlevoix region and invite visitors to experience it.

This is a project that makes sense for the whole industry.

To conclude, cultivating our sense of belonging to the territory seems to us to be a real project that carries meaning for the entire tourism industry here! In addition to contributing to building a better future, this mission is in line with multiple important trends, such as the popularity of local tourism, slow tourism, agrotourism and nature tourism as well as the valorization of culture and the renewed interest in heritage, to name a few.

In addition, anchoring your actions in terms of sustainable development on a more global vision means building on a more solid base.

There are probably as many ways to create relationships as there are organizations. What will be yours?

The subject is important since promoting sustainable means of transport is one of the pillars of the action plan for responsible and sustainable tourism of the Quebec Ministry of Tourism. In addition, travel is an important part of the customer journey. For tourists, it is not only a question of going from one place to another, it is also a way of discovering the territory and having an experience there. However, transportation habits are entrenched and not easy to change. In this context, how can good sustainable mobility projects be developed? Here is a summary of the answers proposed in a dedicated issue of the Espaces magazine.

The challenges of sustainable development in a nutshell

The tourism industry is increasingly aware of the need to decarbonize travel. On a global scale, 49% of greenhouse gas emissions from tourism are linked to transport, and these are increasing according to Sustainabletravel.org. However, we often forget that motor transport has other important environmental and social impacts, including:

- the destruction of natural environments to make way for infrastructure (roads, parking lots) and the visual pollution that this causes (disfigured landscapes);
- impacts on health: air pollution, noise pollution, heat islands;
- car congestion and the impact on the quality of life of residents;
- safety issues for other users: pedestrians and cyclists
- inequalities in access for disadvantaged customers or customers who do not have a car;
- etc.

‍That is why electric cars are only part of the solution when thinking about the mobility of the future. The private car has one seat, but does not have to take up all the space.

How to develop good sustainable mobility projects?

The following content presents the highlights of issue 356 of Espaces magazine: Organize tourist mobilities in the destination. This publication focused on visitor mobility, and does not address worker mobility, which is just as important but has different challenges.

1- Understand the role of mobility in the customer experience

Transportation is an important part of the customer journey, as every journey starts and ends with a trip from home to destination. Mobility also concerns movements within it. Here are some of the points covered in the Espaces magazine:

- the available means of transport weigh on the choice of destination and the user experience impacts the level of satisfaction during and after the visit.

- for the tourist, travel is not only a way to go from one place to another, it is also a way to discover a territory and to live an experience.

- the nuisances What causes the automobile affect the quality of the destination and its attractiveness (as well as the quality of life of residents). These nuisances are less and less accepted as inevitable by the territories.

- the trend in Europe is to Move parking lots away natural sites such as beaches in order to renaturalize them, while in the past, their proximity was the best selling point. It makes them beautiful and authentic.

2- Understand mobility needs and know your territory

Understanding the needs of different potential customers is a condition for the success of any project to develop transport offers. It should be noted that the travel needs of visitors are not the same as those of residents (places served, times and frequencies of visits, etc.). Here are some of the things covered in the Espaces magazine:

- Any project must Start with the needs BEFORE talking about the solutions. 

- The choices of transport, which arises from needs, corresponds to contexts and customer profiles (depending on group composition, age, degree of autonomy, travel skills). For example, a traveller may use the subway during the day, but prefer to take a taxi in the evening and at night.
+ Good practice: A travel survey conducted with a representative sample of tourists and/or excursionists on the territory.

- Every project must be thought of in collaboration with a diversity of actors at the regional level to promote concerted and coherent actions. Otherwise, the piecemeal actions are likely to be random punches.

- Mobility opportunities depend on territorial planning, the level of densification (to reduce distances and travel times), how pleasant and safe it is to walk/bike, etc. In addition, to tackle car congestion, it is necessary to go back to its source, i.e. the main agglomerations where visitors come from, and propose alternative solutions.

- Understand that the tourist does not know the place. As a result, its information needs are greater than those of residents. It is therefore essential to provide them with information door to door and step by step. Digital transformation opens the way to numerous opportunities, thanks to easier access to available transport information, often in real time.

3- How to recognize a good sustainable mobility project?

After carefully considering the needs and studying your territory, it is time to think of solutions. What active and collective modes of transport will arouse the interest of target customers? Here are some of the points covered in the Espaces magazine:

- To hope for a change in mode of transport, it is necessary to offer Alternatives credible, attractive and economical (comfortable, easy to use, etc.)

- The existing mobility network can be adapted.
Public transport can be adapted to the needs of tourist clients.
La multimodality (complementarity of modes of transport) must be planned to streamline and optimize travel.
Walking, biking, and microvehicles (e.g. scooters) can be encouraged.

- Experiential modes of transport can be promoted or developed:
Modes of transport that promote multi-sensory discovery (smells, touch, etc.), allow stops and a Freer exploration : walking, cycling, scooter, etc.
Les fun modes of transport (cable cars, trams, river shuttles,) public or for the specific destination of visitors.

- The new bicycles and other electric vehicles make it possible to expand car-free possibilities and to reach a wider audience. However, they can pose conflicts of use, especially if they are used in natural environments that were formerly preserved.

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In terms of mobility, we can see that there are many opportunities to be seized as of today. For example, access to information can be facilitated by technology, micro electric vehicles make it possible to interest a wider audience in active travel, etc. Here are three examples of inspiring destinations: slovenia, theÎle de Ré (France) and the Mont-Saint-Michel (Francia). However, visitors' individual choices are highly dependent on collective decisions that are taken with regard to territorial planning, infrastructure and public services, etc. However, if there were only one sentence to remember from this text, it would be the following:

“The important thing is to arouse the desire to travel differently!”

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Editorial of June 14, 2022

At the crossroads between competition and cooperation, coopetition is a relational approach between partners or competitors that applies both at the level of destinations and at the level of operators.

In 2021, I had the chance to accompany five microbreweries in New Brunswick. I was quickly impressed by the strong spirit of cooperativeness in this sector, in which breweries regularly share their methods, their equipment and even their employees. Strategies that can also be linked to the circular economy!

According to my observations, a successful co-opetition is based on three pillars:
-A common issue or need (lack of workforce, attraction of visitors, etc.);
-Compatible values and a shared objective;
-A commitment from all employees.

At Touriscope, we also practice co-opetition with an organizational strategy consulting company, O Strategies. Over the years, we have addressed various challenges together. Thus, we co-created the ART strategic planning methodology. And recently, our teams met during an exercise presented below.

Coopetition makes it possible to pool efforts, reduce individual risks and activate collective intelligence. It lays the foundations for benevolent, enriching and respectful relationships between stakeholders in the same ecosystem. At the dawn of this new summer tourist season, I hope you all benefit from such relationships!

Camille

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Original TouriScope article

When 2 companies meet to discuss their shared challenges

Discussing with our counterparts the problems we face on a daily basis in order to shed new light on them, this was the objective of a summit organized between our team and that of O Strategies. Our two consulting firms operate in parallel in different industries with distinct expertise. We are not competing directly, but we have a lot in common! We share our experience concretely in this article, with lots of details about the Open forum method. Hoping to inspire you to do the same!

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Elsewhere on the web

Coopetition at the territorial level is spreading

Jamaica and the Dominican Republic join forces to advance their tourism development together. This example is cutting-edge because it is located on a national scale. However, collaboration between two or more territories for the promotion and development of tourism is becoming more and more common. This news reminds us of the raison d'être ofAcadia Experience, our long-time client, who has been promoting Acadian experiences and destinations in three maritime provinces for over 20 years. We also think of the association of several ATRs within Quebec Maritime. There is also the promotional initiative Coeur des Cantons, led by 3 contiguous territories, which was discussed in This article in summer 2020.

The circular economy at the service of our SMEs: the example of Drasca

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Here is a perfect win-win partnership! Drasca is a new food company that produces crackers from spent grains, a residue from brewing beer. Its partner, the micro-brewery Les Trois Mousquetaires, earns income from the sale of a material that it probably had to pay to bury. The municipality thus has less residual materials to treat, which also reduces GHG emissions. Another example would be that of manure from the Granby Zoo, which is recycled in the form of compost by a farmer in the region. These partnerships are part of the circular economy. These are called industrial synergies or symbioses. There are 3 types: the synergy of materials (what Drasca and the zoo do), the sharing of human resources (Here is an example in Charlevoix) and the sharing of equipment. There are plenty of opportunities for the tourism industry. To go deeper into the subject, Here is a great collection. The Quebec Ministry of Tourism has in fact made it the first axis of its action plan for sustainable and responsible tourism!

The art of inviting - a question of intent and clarity

We often hear that we need to put an end to working in silos and collaborate more. This is necessarily based on an extended hand, an invitation. Issuing this invitation, as well as receiving one, can be a source of stress. The Percolab invites us to take a moment to think about how we approach and write them - especially how to be clearer and more inclusive in order to create fruitful and harmonious collaborations.

The Percolab It also reminds us to accept that the guest has the right to decline.:)

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Our services

Surround yourself to serve you better

Did you know that? In order to meet the diversified and sometimes very specific needs of our customers, we surround ourselves with external collaborators with varied expertise, including:
- the customer experience
- digital transformation
- brand image and communication
- territorial planning
- public consultation
- etc.‍
We like to consider all sorts of partnerships. Indeed, we have twice worked with a team of experts in environment in projects for the recreational and tourism development of natural environments. And more recently, we started a mandate in collaboration with a consultant in museology and heritage ! Do not hesitate to contact us Contact about your projects and we will find the best way to support you! Learn more about our services here.

Editorial of January 25, 2022

Winter inspires me. It delights my contemplative side as much as my need to move! The extraordinary light of sunny days, the promise of adventure of the snowflakes that accumulate... I dream of it! I would go so far as to say that when you love winter, you are frankly happier! Ask the inhabitants of the 7 cities in the spotlight in our 2nd article!

However, this Study by Adventure Ecotourism Quebec, tells us that 27% of Quebecers never do outdoor winter activities, and 37% do so less than once a year. These numbers give us pause for thought. How can barriers be broken down?

First, we must deconstruct the idea that in winter, we will necessarily be cold. This is what Tourism Alberta strives to do through its winter campaign in the 3rd article. For its part, the Kivi Regional Park in Ontario has set up a donation program to provide free access to the less fortunate who request it.‍

‍I end this editorial with a thought for operators who are facing a shortage of staff this winter. In order to prepare your staff recruitment and retention strategy, we present to you on our blog the inspiring example of the Cap Jaseux Adventure Park.

Caroline

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Original TouriScope article

Employee experience in the recruitment service

Have you heard about of operators who had to reduce their opening hours or their services due to the lack of staff this winter? The challenges of recruiting and retaining employees that we already knew were exacerbated by the pandemic. It's a good idea for the coming summer season. We saw in an article published recently by the ASSQ How Quebec ski resorts are innovating to better recruit.

On our blog, we present to you An inspiring example of the Cap Jaseux Adventure Park.

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Elsewhere on the web

7 cities that celebrate winter like no one else!

Discover 7 inspiring North American and European cities who have chosen to celebrate winter rather than endure it. Concerts, markets, family activities and winter sports - these activities, which one guesses are intended for residents first and foremost, instill a palpable dynamism that quickly seduces visitors.

When winter rhymes with heat

Nobody likes to be cold. That's why, in this advertising campaign toolkit, Alberta Tourism Teaches us how to talk about winter in a warm and bright way. From advice for choosing photos to vocabulary (in English), tourism actors from all walks of life will find concrete recommendations applicable in their own communications.

Making nature accessible thanks to a dedicated fund

Unfortunately, many winter sports have significant barriers to entry: the need to buy or rent equipment, expensive access fees, geographical remoteness, etc. The initiative of this Ontario Regional Park aims to make the outdoors accessible to those who cannot afford it. This example of social involvement in tourism inspires us. And you, what are you doing to allow as many people as possible to experience the benefits of your activities?

Our projects

Camille Derelle Aubut is currently supporting SMEs on the famous Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia in the development of a winter tourism offer. Indeed, Destination Cape Breton has been working since 2015 to develop tourism during the cold season and the progress is real. The new brochure Winter Adventure Guide attests to this. We like the presentation of activities by itinerary, which is particularly suited to the needs of visitors at the planning stage.

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about our services here

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

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Editorial of November 30, 2021

How can we work better together to exploit our data? This is the question that many tourism stakeholders ask themselves. I am noticing a growing awareness in the industry of the need to pool the data collected, whether about supply or demand. If only to avoid that the Google and Airbnbs of the world are the only ones to benefit from it... At the recent Attraction Québec Event conference, I attended a discussion table on business intelligence. Despite an openness to cooperation, two observations are obvious: the technological barrier and the lack of expertise.

To overcome this, could we focus our efforts on a shared vision and leadership at the level of each province?
In the cultural sector, let's welcome the creation of Synapse C, an NPO resulting from an initiative of the Quartier des Spectacles de Montréal Partnership and supported by the cultural, business and data science communities. We would have everything to gain from taking advantage of the expertise of Synapse C. She is also offering a workshop to develop a data strategy, organized by Éevements Attraction Québec at the beginning of next year! Faced with a complex subject like this, you must first of all be interested in it in order to better understand it.

Aude

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Original TouriScope article

Demystifying the use of digital traveller data

The use of customer data at the territorial level is a subject that raises a lot of interest, but also questions and reticence on the part of organizations that promote or manage destinations. At TouriScope, we are very interested in this subject. (Re) discover Aude's analysis on this subject here!

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Elsewhere on the web

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Tourism Information Systems: new challenges

Quality information, updated in real time from several data sources: a dream that has become a must to ensure a smooth and consistent visitor experience. Quality, interoperability, monetization and governance are the challenges faced by SITs, these popular tourist information systems in Europe that aim to gather all tourist information in a territory and make it accessible to all. At a time when the Quebec Ministry of Tourism and its partners are working on a project of sharing tourist information in Quebec, This article and the issues it raises are current!

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A new business intelligence tool for the cultural sector!

Data is effective strategic information, all the more useful when it is contextualized. But how do you know if a sales total or a retention rate is good if you don't compare yourself to a reference? Synapse C, an NPO dedicated to data valorization, is launching the Public C initiative. What is it? Focused on customer knowledge, Public C is a collective intelligence tool that will allow user organizations to consult their data and compare it with that of their peers. Since this inspiring initiative is only open to cultural organizations, we are beginning to dream of seeing a similar tool deployed throughout the tourism industry!

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A guide to measuring tourism performance in a different way

How to integrate sustainable development into the measurement of the performance of destinations? This is a subject that is close to our heart at Touriscope and several examples of good practices have already inspired us. Today, the association ATD - Actors of Sustainable Tourism provides free a comprehensive guide to sustainable destination indicators : 10 challenges, 10 indicators and good practices. While some sections of the guide are more applicable to our French cousins, the best practices, the issues identified and the indicators remain absolutely relevant for any destination!

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Effective data management for informed decisions!

How do you get the most out of the data collected? This is the question that Tourisme Gaspésie asked itself. ATR has access to a wealth of data that is subject to regular analysis, including digital marketing data and traffic data. Tourisme Gaspésie then commissioned Touriscope to produce a internal diagnosis in order to obtain a portrait of current customer data management practices. This diagnosis is an essential starting point for the establishment of an effective, structured and coherent data management process.

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about our services here

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Editorial of March 1, 2022

Last month I attended a conference by Vision Attractiveness Estrie, regarding the public consultation on the change of name of the region. As a resident, I feel quite concerned about this subject, proud ambassador of my adopted region. Unsurprisingly, residents made up a significant portion of the population interviewed on the subject. Territorial attractiveness strategy, local tourism, staycation, etc.: residents are an essential stakeholder whose support is necessary for the success of a destination project.

Tourism players have understood this well. I can't count the inspiring examples of community involvement in tourism, such as those presented in this newsletter, such as the sustainable mobility project in the Alps. Initiatives that confirm that if we want to promote attractive and sustainable destinations, we must start by co-creating living and resilient territories. Sometimes actors, ambassadors, creators of the tourist offer and even consumers, residents have many things to say. It's up to us to listen to them!

Audrey

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Original TourScope article

Consulting residents: a must today!

We are increasingly conducting surveys of residents of a territory for our clients, whether to guide tourism development or to assess their perceptions and ensure the social acceptability of an activity or project. Our latest article is intended to be a guide to trends and best practices in this field.

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Elsewhere on the web

Numerous roles for the inhabitants of your territory!

This “inhabitant toolbox” of the MONA (Mission des Offices de Tourisme Nouvelle Aquitaine) has something to inspire! The topics covered range from strategy to hospitality, the collaborative economy, consumption profiles and tourism phobia. If you are still wondering why residents should be at the heart of your concerns, you will find plenty of answers!

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5 lessons learned from over 100 workshops with residents

Destination Think conducted over a hundred online consultation workshops with residents of Canadian, American and New Zealand tourist destinations in the last year. In this article, they present their 5 main findings and recommendations for destination management organizations. The bottom line: the challenges are often the same, and people see tourism as an opportunity, as long as it's managed well.

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How do I conduct consultation workshops with residents?

The objective of the project” Mobility.Camp.Alps ” in Germany was to test innovative methods for developing sustainable tourist offers. In order to benefit from the experience acquired during its implementation, the actors behind the project have prepared this practical guide. So, you want to start a consultation process with residents in the form of workshops but do not know how to do it? It will accompany you down to the smallest detail.

Our services

Call on our services in business intelligence and surveys.

Business intelligence was part of the expertise of team members even before Touriscope started in 2016. Trust us to conduct well-constructed and informative surveys that will inform your decision-making. Also find our practical tips for starting your own survey in our article published last year on the subject.

See our services

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Editorial of April 5, 2022

April: a month to create and save our planet

In tourism, the month of April is often a balance sheet. It is also an opportunity to plan the summer season, recruit, do the cleaning... and I hope to enjoy an Easter ski vacation!

In April, there are two international days related to themes that are very promising for the future of tourism. April 21st is World Creativity and Innovation Day And on April 22 the International Mother Earth Day. It inspires me.

On the one hand, managers must redouble their efforts in order to adapt to a business environment characterized by profound changes. Resilience, ability to adapt, creativity and innovation will have to be there to face future climate, technological, demographic and health changes.

On the other hand, the tourism industry relies a lot on the quality of our natural environment, our landscapes, and biodiversity. In short, a healthy planet. Truly sustainable tourism involves meeting many challenges. What is the purpose of these international days? They are intended to be opportunities to inform the public on major issues, in particular through awareness-raising and mobilization activities. At your level, it could be an opportunity to organize a creative activity such as a brainstorming session to find a solution to a challenge encountered. Or to identify an ecosystem in your environment for which you could commit yourself to its restoration or protection.

Good month of April creative, innovative and at the service of the planet.

Maurice

Original Article: TourScope

The game as a lever for climate action!

The climate crisis is the biggest challenge that humanity will ever face. The creative minds behind the Climate fresco have developed a game that is accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of knowledge. It is a fantastic awareness-raising tool that also allows you to recognize how to take action. Our colleague Nadège wants to work with local actors to adapt the game to the challenges of our tourism industry and eventually become a workshop leader!

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Elsewhere on the web

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Sustainable vacations in the South are possible!

In many people's minds, there's nothing less sustainable than an all-inclusive vacation in the south. Iberostar shows us how the sector can transform with an ambitious vision and a science-based approach: zero single-use plastic since 2020, zero waste in 2025 and carbon neutral in 2030, and much more. They also recognize the importance of restoring the health of coastal ecosystems that support their properties. At Touriscope, we believe that all actors and all sectors can go green, for the benefit of visitors, communities visited and nature.

When innovation and rurality go hand in hand!

Innovation is not just for urban areas! This is demonstrated by the projects supported by the Slow Tourism Lab. in France, a network to support sustainable tourism innovation adapted to rural areas. Local organizations are interested in this model, in particular Tourisme Haut Richelieu in Montérégie. We particularly like the community approach where everyone can offer their skills or announce their needs!

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When vacations fuel creativity

One Nice article from the journal Gestion HEC that combines creativity and the ability to innovate with taking vacations, rest and finding inspiration in your passions. “To be creative, we must necessarily be interested in problems or disciplines other than our own. You always end up drawing surprising parallels.” Would there be opportunities in that? We'll let you think about it!

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Our projects

Reinventing ourselves under the threat of climate change

‍TouriScope recently collaborated with the Pays de la Sagouine, an important tourist attraction in Acadia in New Brunswick. This theatrical village, based on a famous literary work, is threatened in the medium term by rising ocean levels caused by global warming. The team only has between 15 and 20 years to implement adaptation measures such as the repositioning of part of the offer on land, the integration of sustainable infrastructures and the involvement of residents to put the Country at the heart of their daily lives. There is no time to lose!

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about our services here

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Editorial of August 9, 2022

Since the majority of Francophones in Canada live in Quebec, we tend to forget that more than a million of them live elsewhere in the country! Last June, I had the chance to visit New Brunswick and British Columbia, where Francophone and Acadian communities are very present. These trips made me realize that the Francophonie is an element of pride for many Canadians whose first language is not their mother tongue. Various institutions facilitate exchanges and better understanding between communities. RDÉE Canada is precisely working to promote the Francophonie in the tourism industry outside Quebec. Provinces such as Manitoba and Yukon play this card and promote Francophone cultural experiences among tourists and residents.

Moreover, it is our collective duty to no longer forget the 1.6 million indigenous people who live among us. We can welcome the growing openness to Aboriginal cultures noted by Quebec Aboriginal Tourism. In this regard, our team recently visited the exhibition Indigenous voices of today at the McCord Museum in Montreal, which highlights their knowledge and philosophies. A must see!

These meetings and sharing tend to be rooted in our lifestyle, which is good because it is also the essence of a tourist experience!

Aude

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The Touriscope newsletter is an introduction to inclusive writing!
Are you interested in the subject? Follow this link.

Original TouriScope article

Francophone heritage and culture as drivers of tourist attractiveness

TouriScope has carried out several mandates for the Economic Development and Employability Network (RDÉE Canada), an organization dedicated to the vitality of Francophone and Acadian minority communities in Canada: strategies, business plan, training, etc. One of the flagship projects in this field is the Hello Canada, formerly the Corridor, whose website allows visitors to find experiences and services in Molière's language from coast to coast. See our short case study to find out more.

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Adapting your approach to the Aboriginal context

As a tourism expert, TouriScope collaborated with partners and representatives of First Nations to to adapt tourism development programs and tools that the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) uses. Tourism is indeed an opportunity for these communities who aspire to discover their traditions and their territory on their own terms.

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Elsewhere on the web

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Francophone tourism in the spotlight in Manitoba

La Francophone tourism strategy of the OGD of Manitoba is an inspiration for any cultural community in a minority situation. It is clear that the history and local Francophone and Métis cultures are a source of pride that deserves to be shared! Besides, see what does Riel Tourism, the organization responsible for tourism for Francophone neighborhoods in Winnipeg.

Travel Manitoba has fully understood the potential that Francophone cultural experiences represent, especially for the quality of life of French-speaking communities. Thus, its French-speaking tourism strategy is not only aimed at speakers of this language:”English-speaking tourists are also targeted (...), since they may have an interest in history (...)”. The targeted clienteles are therefore fans of authentic experiences and cultural explorers of any geographical origin.

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What to do in French in Dawson City?

Did you know that? Yukon is the 3rd province where French is spoken the most in Canada, after Quebec and New Brunswick: 14% of the inhabitants are bilingual. In order to fill up on tourists this year, the Association Franco-Yukonnaise has also obtained a budget from the federal government for a promotional campaign for Quebec customers. As for Discover Dawson City, nicknamed “Paris of the North” during the gold rush era, we like This web page that presents the activities offered in French in the city. Has your destination thought of doing the same for activities offered in different languages?

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Quebecers are more interested than ever in Aboriginal cultures and tourism!

Quebec Aboriginal Tourism unveiled a study on the interest of Quebecers in Indigenous experiences. Well, they would be more interested than ever in going to meet them. In the current context, deeply marked by the tragic history of boarding schools, tourism seems to us as an opportunity to live significant cultural experiences close to home while promoting the necessary reconciliation between peoples. Not to mention the fact that we greatly need their age-old wisdom to face the environmental challenges in front of us!

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about our services here

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Editorial of May 17, 2022

Since the start of the Covid-19 health crisis, the question of the resilience of the tourism industry has taken on a lot of importance. Indeed, the global health crisis has forced tourism businesses to readjust to this new reality where travel restrictions, visitor quotas, and the deferral of events and shows are common.

However, the subject of resilience in tourism is not new. The link between climate change and climate change has been explored long before. It is especially with the shift towards sustainable tourism that resilience has become a characteristic of sustainability. Resilience and sustainability work together insofar as it involves maintaining the diversity of an ecosystem, managing the unpredictable events that impact activities, and adapting to risks.

It is also about trying to understand when, where, and how it is possible to intervene. Thus, the integration of resilience in this post-covid period does not have a negative connotation, quite the opposite! This is an opportunity for us, actors in the tourism industry, to turn this crisis into an opportunity; by adopting new management habits, by stimulating innovation and by promoting solidarity between individuals and between organizations.

Today, the objective of this newsletter is precisely to send you a positive message about the future that is taking shape for the tourism industry by bringing you some inspiring resilience initiatives!

Clothilde

Original TourScope item

Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change

This article On the adoption of new practices for the management of tourist sites in connection with climate change was written by Camille Derelle Aubut in 2018. It still resonates strongly today. It presents resilience and sustainable development initiatives that have already been implemented throughout Quebec. Rethinking existing management models, designing alternative offers and supporting innovation are all examples of first steps towards the need for the tourism industry to adapt in this post-COVID-19 period.

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Elsewhere on the Web

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Recovering the impacts of overtourism

Being resilient sometimes requires making drastic decisions. Because of overtourism, The Paradisiacal Beach of Maya Bay, located in Thailand, was closed to visitors for 4 years. With a loss of almost 80% of its corals, an ecological recovery period has been determined. Recently reopened, the beach is on the road to healing. Tourism can damage ecosystems, but ecosystems can recover. What lessons can local natural site managers learn from this? In any case, prevention is better than cure!

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How can crises be transformed into opportunities?

Resilience gives us the possibility to react, without returning to the initial state, to convert the test into an opportunity to chart a new path, to adapt. This article Organizations in particular to become aware of their strengths, to stimulate innovation, but also to seek solidarity and mutual assistance between teams and organizations.

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Montreal: Resilience at the Service of a Harmonious Destination

Tourisme Montréal focuses on resilience in its “Harmonious Destination” plan! Indeed, resilience has been identified as one of the pillars of its sustainable tourism intervention framework, particularly for the economic reconstruction of the destination. While prioritizing health security and the confidence of travelers, Tourisme Montréal advocates economic agility in order to be able to adapt to rapid and sudden changes. Among its actions, the organization wants to promote local purchasing and promote responsible sourcing for tourism businesses. In addition, it wishes to contribute to the adaptation of tourism businesses in the face of climate change.

And here are two more sources of inspiration that we didn't want to fail to share for those who want more!

- Tea BC Tourism Resiliency Network and its Stories of Resilience content series.

- The collection of success stories Innovation and resilience in the arts, culture and heritage in Canada.

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Our projects

Support the development of the Charlevoix Train

The Train from Charlevoix is a perfect example of resilience in industry. Before him, two tourist trains operated on this railway, but both had to stop operating. Since the resumption of activities, Réseau Charlevoix, the organization in charge of operations, has faced challenges of reputation, social acceptability and sustainability. The last two years have marked a turning point and today the Train can pride itself on being one of the main products that appeal to the destination.

Touriscope had the chance to support them in this major shift by carrying out an opportunity study that confirmed the development potential of the offer and the relevance of positioning itself as a solution to various challenges experienced in the destination, in particular in terms of accessibility. Thus, Réseau Charlevoix can now assert its role as a key tourism player in developing the attractiveness of the destination. Click to find out more about the context and steps of the process.

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about Our services here.

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Editorial of April 25, 2023

At TouriScope, we value continuous learning in all its forms. Some of our Girl Scouts are attending university. I myself am on an internship, as part of a master's degree in business administration. Our colleague Florine particularly enjoyed her course of communication and social acceptability this semester and she gave us the idea to tell you about it! To move forward more quickly with our projects or for other reasons, we may sometimes take their social acceptability for granted. It is only when we encounter opposition that we become aware of these issues. These debates are often transposed into the media. Listening to these criticisms and concerns can stimulate creativity and greatly improve the project. That is why public participation is desirable. After all, it is our communities that receive tourists in their homes. Expressing their opinion is therefore very legitimate!

For large-scale territorial approaches, it is not possible to articulate a vision and a mobilizing project without involving all the actors concerned. At TouriScope, we always advise our customers to seek the participation of stakeholders and to adapt their approaches. In fact, one of our three values is sharing. Internally too, our leadership style is participatory, empathetic, and non-hierarchical. This results in an atmosphere of collaboration and a great energy that we wish you all!

P.s. We wish you a happy Tourism week !

Karine

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Social acceptability is the result of a collective judgment about a project, plan, or policy. To obtain a positive judgment, the parties concerned must jointly build the minimum conditions to be put in place for harmonious integration into the environment. Social acceptability does not mean unanimity, but it is also not a simple majority of support if the project harms vulnerable groups, for example. Public involvement, on the other hand, refers to the active participation of citizens in decision-making processes that affect their communities. In many cases, social acceptability and public participation are closely intertwined, as public opinion - locally, regionally, or nationally - determines what is socially acceptable. This can change at any time if new elements are revealed.

A new face at Touriscope!

Elise Delaplace : Trainee tourism lightkeeper. Master's degree in Tourism Development at the University of ISTHIA in Toulouse, France. Her dynamic attitude, her involvement and his thirst for learning will be assets for our team over the coming months.

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Original TouriScope article

Consulting residents, a must today!

In a sustainable and responsible tourism development approach, the resident population of a territory is considered as a legitimate stakeholder to be concerned about. Surveys, discussion groups and public consultations are different ways to get their opinion in order to guide tourism development and ensure the social acceptability of an activity or project. In This article, discover how Touriscope goes about its mandates, what questions to ask as well as inspiring international examples.

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Elsewhere on the web

A comprehensive guide to setting up socially acceptable projects

The Quebec Business Council for the Environment proposes a comprehensive guide that answers a lot of questions. What is social acceptability? How to assess it? What influences it? How to promote it? All accompanied by examples of good practices in relationships with the community, communication and public participation. To download and consult frequently to carry out your projects successfully!

Active citizenship for the future of mountain territories

Here is an example very inspiring in France. The desire to involve the entire population in the definition of regional guidelines has led Occitanie to develop a vast public consultation mechanism. The local population gives their opinion on various issues or questions, ranging from language issues to biodiversity or education. Among these themes, a particularly topical consultation body has been set up: the Mountain Parliament. Through this mechanism, the main guidelines were defined in the Plan Montagne d'Occitanie, Terres de Vie 2018-2025. In addition to the consultations, residents also actively participated through the participatory budgeting aimed at financing projects in mountainous territories based on votes.

An example of participatory governance on the North Shore!

Do you know the Manicouagan-Uapishka Biosphere Reserve? Here is an inspiring example of an organization that cares about citizen participation. It is a biosphere reserve designated by UNESCO located in Quebec, recognized for its unique geological characteristics and innovative collaborative approaches. The organization also includes the Uapishka station site and MU Tips.

The reserve follows the principle of inclusiveness, ensuring that diverse perspectives and knowledge are taken into account in planning and management initiatives, which is key to public participation. Education and awareness-raising programs are in place to engage the public and enable them to understand the importance of biodiversity conservation, as well as the sustainable management of resources. In particular, the participation of the Innu community of Pessamit in monitoring and research activities on the territory of the Uapishka biodiversity reserve is encouraged, which gives them the means to contribute actively to scientific and management efforts.

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Our projects

Conservation and sustainable tourism at Mont Rigaud

In collaboration with Nature Action Quebec, we have been working for several months on the realization of a new master plan for conservation and sustainable tourism development for Mont Rigaud, in Montérégie. The mountain faces numerous development pressures, and local actors are committed to offering a vision of the future that will arouse popular support and preserve this local jewel for the benefit of future generations. This is why various consultation activities with the population and local actors were organized by Nature-Action Québec. As in all our mandates, we pay attention to the social acceptability of our proposals. It is part of our commitment to be a responsible consulting company. Revise our CSR commitment here.

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Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about our services here

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Today, travelers say they are increasingly looking for sustainable products and services, but their buying behavior is not always consistent with their intentions. One World Economic Forum report provides a better understanding of this gap between intentions and action. Together, let's dissect the obstacles that aware consumers encounter and then explore solutions to create attractive offers.

According to Touriscope, tourism businesses that succeed in bringing sustainable offers to the market that meet consumers' needs in terms of price, availability and quality and whose purchasing process is facilitated will soon be the most competitive. Indeed, on a global scale, sustainable tourism products are far from being the norm, despite the growing interest of customers, especially from Quebec, Canada and Europe. In fact, consult the sources section at the end of the article to find out what they prioritize as sustainable tourism practices.

Obstacles in the planning and booking process

The World Economic Forum report used interviews with industry experts as well as studies on consumer behavior to classify the obstacles that explain the gap between intention and action into six categories. Initiatives that address more than one are the ones that should have the best results.

1- Limited availability : The lack of supply of sustainable products creates an issue of availability for aware individuals. To be competitive, sustainable alternatives must meet their specific needs and expectations.

2- The lack of knowledge: Despite the fact that sustainability is being talked about more than ever, people lack knowledge about the challenges of sustainable tourism, the good practices that they or businesses can adopt as well as about the existence of products and how they work (for example labels and certifications). They also sometimes have negative prejudices about their price, their level of quality, etc.

3- The lack of credibility: People want to be reassured about the credibility and verifiability of environmental claims. More transparency in communications, better certifications and label programs are needed to meet this demand.

4- Higher prices : Although this is not always the case, sustainable tourism is often perceived as being more expensive. Some people are willing to pay more, but that fluctuates. Price remains the first decision factor for many survey respondents.

5- The tedious shopping experience : People want buying processes that are simple and intuitive. They want to be able to easily identify sustainable offers and not have to make significant additional efforts to obtain information on the sustainability of the products and services they are interested in.

6- The lack of reward and recognition : Making visible the efforts of customers who make eco-friendly choices would encourage them to continue on this path. They want to feel rewarded physically and emotionally. This means facilitating sharing on social networks or providing a differentiated product (for example a green boarding pass).

The gap between what consumers say and what they actually do

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Strategies to close the gap and stimulate demand for sustainable products and services

The World Economic Forum recommends that businesses in the tourism and travel sector engage in a six-step process to overcome the obstacles outlined above.

1-Create sustainable offers. Investing in the development of new offers and refining existing ones to align with customer expectations. It is recommended to seek their opinion directly through surveys, satisfaction ratings, etc. Creating products can be done in partnership with suppliers, the distribution network, etc. Offers can be ancillary, package or integrated (see below).
Obstacle addressed: Limited availability

2-Facilitate the purchase through a frictionless experience: Providing information on the sustainability of an offer where customers already exist is the best way. Making it easier to compare alternatives is another tip.
Obstacles addressed: Tedious shopping experience, lack of knowledge

3-Improve the value proposition: Price remains a decisive criterion. A company can try to reduce the extra cost by reducing its margins, seeing it as an investment in its long-term success. It can also work with its suppliers and business partners to reduce the selling price. Another option; it can try to increase the value of its sustainable products in the eyes of customers by promoting their benefits for customers (e.g.: an electric snowmobile is quieter, which improves the customer experience in addition to being better for the environment).
Obstacle addressed: Higher price

4-Recognizing and rewarding customers: Through various forms of incentives, reward eco-responsible choices (discounts, loyalty cards, etc.). Inform about the positive impact of these choices for the environment and communities (avoided GHGs, $ in the local economy, etc.). Facilitate the promotion of these choices by customers on social networks. This can help to make the offer known to the public and improve the brand image.
Obstacles addressed: Lack of knowledge, higher price, lack of reward/recognition

5-Promote sustainable products and services: Inform customers about existing offers and the positive impact of choosing these alternatives, for example on the carbon footprint. This can be done in partnership with government authorities, associations and DMOs, etc. Also communicate about your successes with the industry to advance everyone.
Obstacles addressed: Lack of knowledge, limited availability

6-Improve transparency: The tourism industry needs to work in a coordinated manner to adopt the same indicators, methods and labels to facilitate the understanding and comparison of offers by customers. While some people prefer summary information, others look for more details to feel confident. It is therefore recommended to provide different levels of information on good practices, their results and how they are measured, etc.

The development cycle of sustainable products and services in tourism

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Sustainability: optional, lump-sum or integrated?

It is good to remember that sustainable offers can be of three types, depending on what best suits the business context and the maturity of the company in relation to sustainable development.

● Optional : Options or additions to the company's regular offering. These options are chosen voluntarily by customers at various stages of the customer journey (low carbon option on a menu, option to reduce room cleaning, carbon offsetting, etc.).

● Forfeited : An offer that includes by default sustainable services that could have been sold as an option. Customers have little flexibility to refuse sustainable service. For example, a tour operator may include carbon offsetting on all their trips, thus reducing the impression of paying extra.

● Integrated : An offer that has a central sustainable attribute and that cannot be detached from it. That's just how things are done in business: use of renewable energy, eco-efficient technologies, etc.

Pilot projects in design thinking mode!

The report concludes with a few calls to action, including the following: get started with pilot products and prototypes. At Touriscope, we strongly believe that innovation should be based on reliable information. With this report and the data collected by various surveys cited as sources below, our companies have everything in hand to go for it! Why not start with a pilot project, a short-term experience that will be improved through an approach based on design thinking and agility? To see if this approach is for you, check out our short article on the subject.

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Editorial of March 7, 2023

We will soon switch to daylight saving time. Are you already in planning mode for the summer season? Several members of our team have already started booking their vacations and getaways. For my part, I will discover two regional parks in Quebec. Guillaume will be at St-Honoré Festival in the wind. Nadège will fly to Yellowstone with her camping equipment for the whole family. Sophie, a fan of slow travel, will visit Virginia by bike. Camille will make her children discover their North Italian origins. Audrey will be crisscrossing Argentina, and wants to specify that she has already budgeted for her carbon offset with Carbone Boréal.

Obviously, we will write down in our memories all the offers and small original touches that make us live an extraordinary customer experience. All the good ideas too that make tourism more sustainable and tourists more responsible.

We are fortunate to be very busy and busy with our mandates at the beginning of the year, which is why we invite you to reread some of our recently updated articles that remain very relevant. We have also put online all our old newsletters in the form of articles so that you can find the contents or discover them if you have recently joined us.

Happy reading!

Caroline

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Original TouriScope articles

Several ways to attract residents

It will already be the 4th summer since the start of the pandemic. You have certainly already implemented several strategies to attract local customers. How well do you know how they perceive you? Have you adapted to their particular needs? Do not hesitate to reread our article on the subject to find new ideas: limited-time events and products, packages, privileges, etc.

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The package deal step by step

Creating new packages is a good way to make your offer known to new customers, to encourage your regulars to come back or to improve the customer experience. It is also an extraordinary opportunity to develop collaboration within a destination, and to reinforce its attractiveness when several complementary partners work together. Our article recently updated guides you through all the stages of marketing packages supported by various examples.

Elsewhere on the web

The customer experience at the service of your profitability

Did you know that a 5% increase in customer retention can generate 25% more profits? What is the customer experience, how is it built and how does it contribute to your profitability? Here is a Great article to remember the answers to all these questions. We believe that this should be at the heart of your concerns.

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Our projects

Strategic planning based on in-depth analysis

TourScope supported the Homarus Ecocentre, an interpretation center that offers an interactive experience allowing the discovery of lobster and marine ecosystems in Shediac Bay in New Brunswick. In 2020, the center and its main partners were ready to move forward with the construction of a new building in order to make the modest center a major tourist attraction. Which customers should we target? What experiences can we offer? TourScope carried out several analyses: trends, benchmark, competition, etc. in order to set the stage for solid strategic planning. Discover the approach and its results on our website.

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Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about our services here

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Editorial of June 20, 2023

Francophone culture in Canada, because it represents the identity of our ancestors and the richness of our heritage, is a major element of cultural tourism for the whole country. It is celebrated everywhere in Quebec, but also elsewhere in Canada thanks to numerous tourist attractions such as the Champlain Road In Ontario, the Festival des Voyageurs in Manitoba or even the Pays de la Sagouine in New Brunswick. There is a plurality of Francophone cultures in Canada, something that we may tend to forget here in Quebec! But you only need to read the books of anthropologist Serge Bouchard to take full measure of it, since he devoted his life to the promotion of Aboriginal and Francophone culture in Canada. Despite this, it is surprising to note that our national DMO, Destination Canada, does not give any window to Francophone culture.

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In recent years, it has instead chosen to recognize RDÉE Canada as the person responsible for this promotion, through the platform Hello Canada. Unfortunately, it does not have the same influence as Destination Canada could offer it. After all, RDÉE Canada is an economic development and employability organization, not a marketing instrument. With this newsletter, we want to highlight the importance of La Francophonie and its vibrant cultures for the Canadian tourism industry. Happy reading!

Aude

Original TouriScope article

A look at French-speaking tourism in Canada

There is a plurality of Francophone cultures across the country, but this wealth has only been highlighted in recent years by the Canadian tourism industry. The promotion of Francophone culture at the national level did not exist before the idea was born at the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie in 2015. Two years later, on the occasion of Canada's 150th anniversary, the Department of Canadian Heritage asked RDÉE Canada to carry out a project to ensure the development, enhancement and promotion of French-speaking tourism in Canada: the Francophone Heritage, Cultural and Tourism Corridor, now renamed Hello Canada. Where are we today? Continue reading the full article here.

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Elsewhere on the web

The opportunities of French-speaking markets

According to the International Organization of la Francophonie, there are more than 321 million Francophones in the world. Francophone tourism and domestic and international Francophone tourism markets represent an opportunity for Canada. This RDÉE Canada study, presents the profile and travel behavior of each of these markets as well as the benefits of targeting them and tips on how to do so. The study suggests that in order to attract them, it is important to communicate in French, that businesses welcome them in their language, to promote Franco-Canadian culture and heritage and to highlight the existence of Francophone and Acadian communities.

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Discovering Canadian nature in French?

The website of Hello Canada presents the attractions that promote Francophone heritage across Canada and those that offer services in French. Blog posts add a dynamic touch to the site. An example with this article which presents various essential outdoor activities accompanied by a French-speaking guide. A guarantee of insurance for travelers who might not have taken the plunge into an adventure activity without support in their language!

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A festival to promote the Francophonie

Do you know the Winnipeg Voyageur Festival, in the French-speaking district of Saint-Boniface? It is the largest French-speaking event in Western Canada, welcoming more than 90,000 festival-goers per year. This annual winter celebration highlights the arts from several disciplines, including music, dance, sculpture and visual arts, while prioritizing Francophone and Indigenous artists. The festival also offers educational experiences to the general public and to schools throughout the year, which focus on the history of Francophones, Métis, and First Nations in Manitoba. Very inspiring!

Our projects

Franco-Ontarian culture in the spotlight

At the request of the Ontario Economic Society (SÉO), Touriscope, in collaboration with TourismExpansion, has developed several guided tours (available on the Discovery Balado platform) and showcasing Franco-Ontarian culture. Among the routes, a heritage, cultural and historical itinerary was created around the Byward Market district in Ottawa. Over 4 kilometers, it offers fun and exclusive content at each point of interest. In particular, visitors will have the chance to discover the contribution of the First Nations and the Francophone minority over time. Since 2015, SÉO has initiated major projects as part of its Francophone and Bilingual Tourism Strategy in Ontario.

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other specialized partners, can help you! Learn more about our services here

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Editorial of September 19, 2023

As nature begins to change color and the air gets fresher, we are getting ready for a new season. But autumn is much more than a period of transition; it is a time rich in cultural and personal transformations. That's why we're dedicating this newsletter to experiential tourism. Since its popularization by Pine and Gilmore in 1999, the concept of experiential tourism has evolved and been adopted by a growing number of travelers looking for more authentic experiences and memorable. Combining education, discovery, interaction and stimulation, this very promising niche appeals to tourism players who can thus demonstrate innovation and creativity to attract visitors. Visitors now expect to have meaningful and emotional experiences.

In this newsletter, discover the experience lived by a group of experts from Association of Francophonies for Tourism Innovation (FIT) gathered for an immersive stay at the Historic Village of Val-Jalbert to discuss tourism strategy. See how historic tourist attractions have the power to provide immersive experiences whether in Val-Jalbert, Acadia or Parks Canada sites. The “special” summer we experienced in terms of climate reminds us that it is time to think about tourism development differently. The way of doing experiential tourism, which brings more meaning, can certainly serve as inspiration.

Sophie

Team news

The Touriscope team is growing!

The team is now counting on the expertise of two new Girl Scouts.

Elise Delaplace: Girl scout in tourist transformation. Dynamic and attentive to the needs of the team, Élise was, until very recently, interning with us. Her trips and studies have made her aware of sustainable tourism and the desire to help tourism businesses carry out projects offering more environmentally friendly offers, focused on local communities.

Réanne Cooper: Tourism intelligence scout. An Acadian from the Maritimes, Réanne is open to the world and has a great thirst for learning. Recently graduated with a master's degree in management from the University of Moncton, she has varied experience in research and analysis, communication and local engagement.

Elsewhere on the web

The immersive power of history

The managers of the Val-Jalbert tourist village want to reinvent their tourist offer. Rather than going with a traditional study, they opted for an approach based on the principle of an innovation circle in immersion with the FIT. Twenty experts immersed themselves in the history of the site, letting it reveal its secrets to them. Discover the Feelings of one of the participants who describes his experience as a real immersion in a timeless place. The Village also offers a new olfactory and digital journey at the butchery at the time in collaboration with TKNL and Stimulation Déjà Vu. This shows how attractions such as the villages of yesteryear have the potential to provide visitors with immersive experiences.

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Where technology, creativity and culture meet

The use of immersive technology is a key trend in experiential tourism. One recent study by Habo in eight international geographic markets attests that there is a strong interest in this type of experience. The study groups these experiences into eight main categories, including immersive outdoor experiences, of which the Lumina series, created by Moment Factory, is a good example. The most recent to have seen the light of day is Akadi Lumina in Bouctouche, New Brunswick. This route is inspired by Acadian culture and history and the region's iconic landscapes. Touriscope is proud to have accompanied the Pays de la Sagouine in creating this initiative.

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Gourmet tourists in search of the unique, the new

Another axis of experiential tourism that has grown remarkably in recent years is that of gourmet tourism, which evolves with the changing expectations of travelers. One American Express Travel study indicates that many people will choose their destination based on what they can eat there. Millennials and Generation Z are placing greater emphasis on the food scene when planning a trip. Another report entitled Against the tide, focusing on the most unusual travel trends in 2023, highlights the fact that travelers are now looking for new experiences. Building on these two trends, Parks Canada offers unique culinary experiences, many of which are historic in nature.

Our services

Use our services for your opportunity studies

Maximize your success with our expertise. We can help you conduct a thorough analysis that will assess the feasibility and potential for success of a particular project or idea. Consult our services here.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Did you know that French is spoken in all provinces and territories of Canada, and not only in Quebec? And that there is a plurality of Francophone cultures across the country? However, this wealth has only been highlighted in recent years by the Canadian tourism industry. In a country where French is one of the two official languages, that may seem surprising, no?

I wanted to understand why this one seems little put forward by Canadian tourism players outside Quebec. This reflection applies to any country that wishes to develop its multiculturality into tourism. That concerns a lot of countries, right?

A question of survival above all?

In Canada, especially outside Quebec, we don't talk about the future of the French language, but rather about its survival... Despite the Canadian government's Official Languages Act, which guarantees equal status for French and English, French-speaking communities across the country must constantly claim their rights, at the risk of one day being assimilated into the English-speaking majority.

Although the vast majority of Canadians whose mother tongue is French live in Quebec (85.5%), nearly 1.15 million live in the country's other provinces and territories. Apart from New Brunswick (the only officially bilingual province), where Francophones represent nearly a third of the population, these Canadians account for only 0.5% to 4.5% of the inhabitants of their province or territory!

Despite everything, the Francophonie is well established throughout Canada. There are more than 300 Francophone minority communities * that benefit from supports adapted to their challenges. RDÉE Canada is the national organization that supports their economic development, in collaboration with their local partners. It is the Economic Development and Employability Network dedicated to Francophone and Acadian communities outside Quebec. Tourism is one of their priorities, both for development and for tourism promotion.

*French-language minority communities that have at least one school whose main language of instruction is French.

Creation of a unifying project

Although initiatives to promote Francophone culture are identified in some provinces and territories outside Quebec, such projects at the national level did not exist before the idea was born at the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie in 2015. Two years later, during the 150^E anniversary of Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage entrusts RDÉE Canada with the implementation of a project ensuring the development, enhancement and promotion of French-speaking tourism in Canada: the Francophone Heritage, Cultural and Tourism Corridor, now renamed Hi Canada. 

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It is a collection of more than 400 French-speaking heritage elements, cultural and tourist products, selected to offer visitors services in French. It required an initial investment of 2.4 million dollars and brought together 400 partners and specialists over 2 years to carry out what would seem to be the first inventory of tangible and intangible Francophone heritage outside Quebec!

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In addition to the traditional list of attractions geolocated by theme on a map, there are also fact sheets presenting the history of French-speaking communities.

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From this inventory were then selected the attractions that could be marketed. Alain Brosius, who was responsible for giving life to the Corridor at RDÉE Canada, explained to me in an interview that in order to market it on French-speaking markets, it was also necessary to guarantee a welcome in French in these attractions. A system for classifying services in French was then developed and validated by several French tour operators. In addition to Francophone cultural and heritage attractions, the Corridor also includes the flagship attractions of each province and territory that are able to provide services in French. This is in order to offer a diversity of experiences to visitors.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 has upset the plans and today the Corridor is still not marketed.

A less flamboyant project than at the beginning?

Despite the very good initial intentions of the various partners involved (note the fact that the Corridor is integrated into the Action Plan for Official Languages —2018-2023), today it is a B2C website that serves as the main inspiration tool. Destination Canada, the national DMO, does not even mention it on its website and it seems very little known to other players in the tourism industry and travelers. A fairly eloquent statistic* reveals that nearly half of Quebecers who have traveled to the rest of Canada in the last five years have never heard of the French-speaking and bilingual Canadian tourism offer outside of Quebec.

*Survey on Francophone and Bilingual Tourism in Canada, RDÉE Canada, 2023

Currently, efforts are focused more on allowing French-speaking tourists to visit the country in their language than on promoting Francophone culture and heritage. Chantal Nadeau, platform manager at RDÉE Canada, is even making Anglophone attractions aware of offering services in French, which is still quite difficult in the context of a labour shortage...

Lacking the resources to deploy Salut Canada, it is currently focusing its efforts on marketing the Champlain Road with French tour operators, in collaboration with its Ontario partner. It is a tourist route in Ontario that follows the path taken by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain and leads the visitor to discover the land, built heritage and outdoor businesses. The project is much more advanced than Salut Canada and has the potential to act as a locomotive to propel the rest of the project.

Despite the pitfalls and the slowdown of the project, some achievements should be noted, in particular the fact that the Department of Canadian Heritage understands the advantages of bilingualism for tourism development. However, it seems difficult to be optimistic about the future of Salut Canada. Difficult access to resources and financing, tourism products of unequal quality between provinces and territories, unknown heritage, lack of vision and interest from different levels of government, lacking leadership, omnipresent English-speaking environment, etc. Should we fear for its survival, just like the French language in the country?

A big thank you to Chantal Nadeau, economic development and employability advisor - tourism projects — RDÉE Canada and Alain Brosius, expert in tourism development, strategic marketing and founder of tourismexpansion, for enlightening me on the subject.

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Editorial of October 17, 2023

Sustainable development is a current topic and is at the heart of TouriScope's values. On September 27, we celebrated World Tourism Day. This year, the World Tourism Organization highlighted the importance of sustainable investments, education and the discovery of new destinations in the world of tourism. Creating sustainable tourism products and services not only has a beneficial impact on the environment, but also on the other two aspects of sustainable development, namely economic and social. By working with local communities and valuing their culture, by offering unique and authentic experiences, by acquiring products and services from local, responsible or socially oriented businesses for example, these are all good actions in favor of sustainability. The offer of sustainable services and products can transform the tourist experience and contribute positively to society at large. In this new newsletter, explore tips on creating sustainable tourism products and services, discover the basics of storytelling for sustainability, and understand how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals relate to tourism offerings. Happy reading!

Réanne

Original TourScope article

Designing sustainable tourism products well

When boots follow their chops... Even though many consumers and tourists are increasingly looking for sustainable experiences, products and services, there is still a gap between intention and action. What can you do to properly meet the needs of your tourists? In this article, Touriscope provides a summary of the highlights of a World Economic Forum report on this subject. Consult the article to learn more!

Elsewhere on the web

Creating value from sustainable products

Transparency and authenticity. These are two important aspects of promoting sustainable products and services. Consumers are seeing more and more green or responsible certifications. Sometimes a lack of understanding, rigor, and credibility can cause problems. In the Deloitte report, Creating value from sustainable products (2023), it is said that 75% of consumers are more likely to buy products or services that are green or sustainable. According to the report, 80% of businesses say that designing sustainable products or services is more expensive. However, it is also said that “the fact of communicating facts illustrating why a product is considered more sustainable appeals to 54% of consumers”. Therefore, it is important to use clear, transparent, and honest communication to build consumer trust.

The ABCD of storytelling for sustainability

Tourism businesses and operators who want to use storytelling as a communication tool for sustainable products and services can be inspired by the ABCD of storytelling for sustainability. Promoting these products and services is now important, but an organization should also pay attention to the concept of “greenwashing” or “greenwashing.” The Conversation article entitled”When brand storytelling is at the service of sustainability” offers you various tools, strategies and ways to support you in your efforts to communicate sustainable products or services!

The 17 United Nations SDGs and the provision of sustainable products and services

Offering sustainable services or products in tourism can take various forms. The promotion of organic products, support for local and responsible purchasing, and the offer of authentic experiences are examples. According to UNWTO, sustainable tourism is in line with several of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, in particular goals 8, 12 and 14. However, due to the interconnectedness of the SDGs, sustainable tourism can also contribute to the other 14 goals in a variety of ways. An interesting example that is presented in the article is that of SDG #2, the fight against hunger. Under this objective, a restaurant or tourist operator could promote “the production, use and sale of local products in tourist destinations and their full integration into the tourism value chain.” The article thus proposes lines of thought in the development of sustainable products and services and sustainable tourism for each of the 17 SDGs. Happy reading!

Our projects

Planning for the future for a more inclusive and eco-responsible destination

Outaouais Tourism has revised its strategic plan for 2023-2027 after a complex pandemic period. Touriscope was mandated to support them in the development of this plan. The process consisted of three steps: analysis of the issues, collective thinking, and organizational transformation. By organizing interactive workshops, interviews and a member survey, a complete picture was available to develop their plan. The strategic plan, unveiled in June 2023, defines priority actions in line with current challenges. It places inclusiveness, innovation and eco-responsibility at the forefront. Tourism players in the Outaouais region are committed to making the region an essential destination, supporting these values. Thanks to Julie Kinnear, Director General, and to the Board of Directors for their confidence in this approach towards more sustainable and inclusive tourism.

Our services

Use our services for your opportunity studies

Maximize your success with our expertise. We can help you carry out an in-depth analysis that will assess your development opportunities and identify the most promising ones for your organization or destination. Learn more about our services here

Protected areas accessible to visitors

If you did not have a chance to read the first article on protected areas Click here

Not all protected areas are synonymous with a “glass bell.” Thus, most categories of protected areas (except category 1) allow access to visitors for recreational and tourist activities. These activities take many forms such as hiking, wildlife observation, or mountain biking or cross-country skiing.

The impacts of tourism in protected areas

Protected areas accessible to the public allow the discovery of the natural and cultural resources of the territory and thus contribute to the awareness of conservation and protection values. In many cases, tourism is even essential for the creation and management of protected areas. The economic benefits of tourism in protected areas can also be a powerful argument in favor of conservation. However, this activity requires basic infrastructure and a sustainable management system in order to limit negative impacts that could contribute to the primary mission of protected areas. The table below summarizes the benefits and potential negative impacts of tourism in protected areas.

For sustainable tourism in protected areas

To help managers and other decision makers develop sustainable tourism in protected areas, IUCN has published a guide presenting guidelines and a series of best practices. The guide is available Hather. The ten principles presented in the guide can be summarised as follows.

Principles 1 to 4 —Sustainable Management and Planning

Tourism necessarily has impacts on the territory and the community of the protected area. Infrastructure management, planning and design must be consistent with the goals and values of the protected area.

• Establish a clear and precise management framework (e.g.: development by zoning, impact management measures, standards);
• conduct environmental impact assessments;
• Determine the limits of acceptable changes for the territory and the community (define indicators and quality standards);
• Choose eco-friendly materials;
• Use native plant species for landscape design.

Principles 5 and 6 —Managing visitor flows and land uses

The use of tools and techniques that limit the use of the territory by visitors ensures that tourist activities do not compromise the conservation objective of the protected area. Here are some courses of action:

• Extend the offer in space and time for a better distribution of visitor flows;
• Reducing demand for problem uses. For example ending certain activities (climbing walls) at certain times (nesting);
• Use a system of restriction for access (e.g.: reservation system, draw, queue);
• Use zoning that assigns certain recreational activities to specific areas or time slots;
• Use variable pricing (e.g. the most popular and fragile sites are more expensive).

Principles 7 to 10 — Follow-up, Commitment and Communication: The Winning Trio

Once the management framework has been established and the tools and techniques are carefully selected, protected area managers must design and implement a monitoring, engagement, and communication program.

• ‍Follow-up is essential. Continuous monitoring, which monitors current conditions and assesses the effectiveness of actions, allows informed decisions to be made and the necessary adjustments to be made.‍
• Stakeholder engagement and consultation are essential in the management of a protected area. Partnerships between protected area management organizations and NGOs, indigenous peoples, local communities, and the private sector can be very beneficial, but also complex, as each group may have different goals.
• Finally, Communication is essential for improving knowledge and supporting sustainability.

Conclusion

Tourism and the various recreational uses in protected areas generate certain negative impacts. However, if managed sustainably, this tourist use can also generate positive impacts in favor of nature conservation and for community development. Finally, by applying best practices, sustainable tourism can help defend numerous natural and social values that contribute to the conservation mission of the protected area and, where possible, benefit local communities.

How can Touriscope help you?

A project to create protected areas? Touriscope and its partners can help you! Come and find out more about Our services here

✔ Market research

✔ (pre) feasibility study

✔ Study of opportunities and development potentials

✔ Impact study

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Editorial of October 18, 2022

What role can I play in resolving issues that affect me? This is a question that has been on my mind since I started a return to studies in management and sustainable development. A question that also resonates strongly with the entire Touriscope team, which decided to sponsor the Quebec Sustainable Tourism Symposium. Today, we are offering you a newsletter in connection with the various themes of this day, which is intended to be unifying and mobilizing: adaptation to climate change, sustainable mobility and socio-ecological transition.

A lot is being said about this transition. In my opinion, one aspect in particular has the potential to give meaning to travel and tourism activity. It is that of the necessary reconnection of humans with the natural world and with their peers.

Indeed, tourism marks a break with daily life where we move headlong. During a break, we open our eyes to be confronted with realities other than our own, which allows us to learn, if we want to. In my article on the subject, I highlight local entrepreneurs and organizations that allow this reconnection to the territory or promote it.

To paraphrase Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: when it comes to the future, it's not about predicting it, but about making it possible. And you, what future do you make possible?

Caroline

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Original TouriScope article

Reconnecting with the territory as a response to the quest for meaning in tourism

What role can tourism play in the socio-ecological transition? In our opinion, it is one of the tools to be mobilized to reconnect human beings with the territory and its inhabitants. Indeed, it allows you to open your eyes by setting foot elsewhere, to open up to others through encounters, learning and information. Let's start with a definition of transition and continue with 6 levers that tourism organizations have at their disposal to promote reconnection. Click here to continue reading the complete article.

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Elsewhere on the web

A monitoring board on climate change adaptation

The Laurentides Living Lab takes care of your watch on the subject of adaptation to climate change. A subject that should become one of the main concerns of managers, since the impacts are already being felt. The changing climate is affecting risk management, operating costs as well as the revenues of tourism businesses. Add the board to your favorites, so you can go back to it regularly!

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Sustainable mobility solutions to be implemented now

Today, it is imperative to focus on sustainable mobility solutions. Doing your part in the fight against climate change is not the only reason. Indeed, being accessible by a greater diversity of modes of transport is a proven lever of attractiveness for the workforce, and for customers too! Here is a complete guide to implementing various measures, including step-by-step implementation steps.

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Our projects

Mountain plan: a sustainable development and climate adaptation project

Last April, the Government of Quebec announced an investment in the mountain plan, which aims to focus “on the development or consolidation of a four-season tourist offer; the strengthening of local supply chains and the promotion of Quebec products; the collaboration of all territorial actors; and the adoption of responsible and sustainable practices by businesses.”

Touriscope is currently carrying out a diagnosis and recommendations for one of the 9 ATRs concerned. An exciting project as we like them!

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other partners specialists can help you!

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

Editorial of January 18, 2023

To start 2023, I chose to talk about the experience behind every tourist trip. This subject is inspired by a Road trip lived last summer. As a family, we decided to take the longest route to Manitoba. But why would you ask me? The experience now allows me to answer them more clearly. Along the way, I discovered what the shortest path can't offer: taking the true measure of our country, its size and everything that makes it up. I slept in areas that I would not have chosen as a destination, but that were worth living in. I ate at places that are not so much Instagrammable, but authentic. I was able to better understand the territory through historic monuments such as that of Terry Fox in Thunder Bay, the strong presence of the forest industry in Kapuskasing or the imposing open pit mine in Malartic.

As I listened, I heard the languages, the expressions. By opening my eyes, I was able to see the faces of all these communities. For my part, I adhere to the principle that the journey is not only limited to the destination, but that the road traveled also brings us its share of stories and wonders.

As you will read in our selection of articles, this is especially true for those who travel in electric cars, who often combine business with pleasure during their stops to recharge. It is a pillar of Slow tourism. It is also an important aspect to consider in the development of any sustainable mobility project, as demonstrated by our Touriscope article on the subject. It can even be an asset for recruiting staff. Happy reading!

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Amélie

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Original TouriScope article

How to develop good sustainable tourist mobility projects?

Faced with the numerous environmental challenges associated with private cars, how to encourage tourists to travel in other ways? The subject is important since promoting sustainable means of transport is one of the pillars of the action plan for responsible and sustainable tourism of the Quebec Ministry of Tourism. In addition, Travel is an important part of the customer journey. For tourists, it is not only a question of going from one place to another, it is also a way of discovering the territory and having an experience there. However, transportation habits are entrenched and not easy to change. In this context, how can good sustainable mobility projects be developed? Caroline, an expert in responsible tourism development, summarizes for you the content of the magazine Espace devoted to this subject. Follow this link to read the complete article.

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Elsewhere on the web

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Soft mobility initiatives to discover

Here is a summary of French initiatives to consult for those interested in soft mobility in the territories. We are talking here about tourist trips without a car to promote the exploration of territories in fashion. Slow tourism. With the socio-ecological transition under way, experts expect to see services like this one, as well as carpooling, carsharing, etc. develop outside major urban centers in less densely populated areas. Indeed, these modes of transport collectively make it possible to optimize the use of resources and to reduce its environmental footprint. For individuals, they save money.

A whole dossier on the Slow tourism !

To support the development of slow tourism in France, the Direction Générale des Entreprises offers a toolkit intended for businesses and operators of tourism projects. In particular, this toolbox contains tutorials, and aims to support the transition to slow tourism. By definition, this way of traveling favors slow rhythms, for a more immersive experience. One of its pillars is to encourage the practice of soft mobility, thus contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
According to a study by Booking.com cited there, 62% of international tourists surveyed in 2019 want to take a trip during which travel is an integral part of the stay experience. All the more reason to be interested in our topic of the day!

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Attract the Road Trippers In an electric car

Travel Oregon has brought great itineraries to the market for EV drivers. This American state has one of the best networks of charging stations and highlights it through Oregon Electric Byways, that crisscross its panoramic roads, between rural and urban landscapes. By the way, Travel Oregon has no shortage of recommend the addresses of eco-responsible businesses. According to Bornes Quebec, “This clientele is an interesting niche, considering that 92% of EV drivers spend money in local businesses (restaurants, hotels, shops, etc.) while charging their vehicle. ” Good to know: as part of Explore Quebec, travel agencies have offered electric car tours in the last 2 years.

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Sustainable mobility solutions to be implemented now

Today, it is imperative to focus on sustainable mobility solutions. Doing your part in the fight against climate change is not the only reason. Indeed, being accessible by a greater diversity of modes of transport is a proven lever of attractiveness for the workforce, and for customers too! Here is a complete guide to implementing various measures, including step-by-step implementation steps.

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Our sustainable tourist mobility projects

Sustainable tourist mobility is an important theme in several mandates on which our team is currently working. When specialized expertise is required, we collaborate, among others, with momentum - transport consultants. Contact us to discuss your needs!

Our services

Do you have a tourism project?

Touriscope, in collaboration with other partners specialists can help you!

- Market study

- (pre) feasibility study

- Study of opportunities and development potentials

- Etc.

Another need? Contact us, we will be happy to discuss it!

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What are we talking about?

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the global authority on the status of the natural world and measures to safeguard it, defines protected areas as follows:

“A clearly defined geographic space, recognized, dedicated and managed, by any effective legal or other means, in order to ensure the long-term conservation of nature and associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”

Protected areas are often created to protect rare, threatened, or endangered ecosystems, as well as to preserve important cultural and historical sites. IUCN has developed a globally recognized system for the classification of protected areas into six categories. These are important tools for planning, creating, and managing protected areas. Next, each state defines a legal or administrative designation compatible with the objectives of the protected area.

In Quebec, for example, the network of protected areas is regulated and managed according to 32 legal or administrative designations recognized under the responsibility of various governmental authorities, legal entities or individuals.

E.g.: Quebec national park, biological refuge, biodiversity reserve, etc.

What is the purpose of a protected area?

By contributing to the conservation of nature and the maintenance of biological diversity, protected areas provide a wide range of environmental, ecological, scientific, socio-cultural and economic benefits. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

● Biodiversity conservation;

● Sources of ecosystem services (e.g.: oxygen production, soil regeneration, stream purification, air filtration);

● Essential tools for adapting to climate change;

● Laboratories in natural environments that advance science, research, and education;

● Protected areas accessible to the public contribute to the improvement and maintenance of the physical and mental health of citizens;

● Economic diversification opportunities for regions through tourism and recreational tourism;

● Preservation of the cultural values of a territory.

When the protection of biodiversity rhymes with the protection of traditions

Since February 2021, the Government of Quebec has introduced a new concept: protected areas from indigenous initiatives. This concept allows indigenous communities to propose projects on their territory in order to preserve elements of biodiversity and their culture.

This is the case of the Innu community of Pessamit on the North Shore, which is calling for the creation of a protected area on their ancestral territory in order to save the habitat of the last forest caribou. A sacred animal for the community, the forest caribou is at the heart of the language, culture and traditions of the Innu of Pessamit. More than the protection of forest caribou, they therefore demand the preservation of a territory where they can continue their traditional practices.
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The regulation of activities in a protected area

Not all protected areas are synonymous with a “glass bell.” In fact, most categories allow “low impact” commercial activities as long as monitoring or management measures prevent impacts on biodiversity. Examples of authorized uses include:

✔ Scientific research and explorations aimed at better understanding the environment;

✔ Construction of non-motorized trails, river crossings, or backcountry infrastructure to mitigate the effects of recreational activities;

✔ Minor structures in support of education and nature-based tourism.

However, nature conservation remains a priority:

“Any activity carried out in a protected area must preserve the essential biological character of the protected area. If there is a conflict between different management objectives, nature conservation is a priority.” IUCN

While people can continue to enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, and hunting in these protected areas, industrial activities such as wood cutting, mineral exploration, quarrying, and land development are prohibited.

State of play: a thorny and topical subject

Today where are we in terms of protected areas? Overview of the targets and challenges for the creation of protected areas in Canada, Quebec and New Brunswick.

Ambitious targets

In Canada, at the end of 2021, 13.5% of Canada's land areas and inland waters were recognized as being conserved through protected area networks (12.6%) and other effective area-based conservation measures. This was below its target of 17% by 2020.

Today, Canada's main goal is to achieve 25% of the country's land and 25% of its oceans conserved by 2025, and 30% by 2030 in line with the international goals set at COP15 through the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Same ambition at the provincial level for the quebec which is clearly committed to achieving 30% of protected areas by 2030. In December 2020, however, Quebec narrowly reached its previous conservation objective of 17%. In particular, the objective was achieved through the designation of several dozen territorial reserves for the purposes of protected areas (RTFAP), a step prior to their legal status being confirmed.

However, Quebec faces a major challenge: the distribution of its protected areas on its territory. Indeed, the majority of new protected areas are north of the 49th parallel, which hampers the achievement of the objective of a network representative of the biodiversity of the territory. At the same time, 83 protected area projects, most of them in southern Quebec, were not selected in December 2020. Since then, things have changed a bit with the announcement in February 2022 of 10 new protected areas in the south of the province.

Au New Brunswick, the 10% target for 2023 was achieved in particular thanks to the designation by the provincial government of more than 270,000 additional hectares of new protected areas.

The obstacles and challenges to the creation of protected areas

Several factors hinder the creation of protected areas and the achievement of set targets. Here are some of the most frequent challenges that project leaders face:

● Extractive industries lobbying. Extractive industries, such as forestry or mining, can have significant economic interests in protected area areas. As a result, they can influence policy decisions to prevent the creation of protected areas. In Quebec, this resistance is strong, especially south of the 49^E parallel with the forest industry, which raises fears of loss of income and jobs.

●  Local communities that are also committed... how resistant! The creation of protected areas can lead to the relocation of local populations, the limitation of their economic activities and the expropriation of their land, which can generate resistance from the local community. At the same time, the vast majority of protected area projects are initiated by the community.

● The process is long: 10-15 years on average and can lead to projects running out of steam” by “The process is long, 10 to 15 years on average, which can lead to projects running out of steam.

Conclusion

The creation of protected areas in Canada is therefore a current hot issue and a priority in a context of resilience to climate change. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, many stakeholders are mobilizing and funding is available. La Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (SNAP) and its regional branches is in particular an organization that plays a leadership role in conservation in Canada through its expertise, public awareness and advocacy activities.

And tourism in all of this?

Stay tuned for our next article that will deepen the link between protected areas and tourism and present some good management practices for sustainable tourism in protected areas!

How can Touriscope help you?

A project to create protected areas? Touriscope and its partners can help you!

✔ Market research

✔ (pre) feasibility study

✔ Study of opportunities and development potentials

✔ Impact study

Border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have opened up new perspectives for local tourism. In terms of inspiration, residents are called upon to share their best addresses and “hidden gems” more than ever.

Destinations and operators have been forced to turn to local customers, and to put residents at the heart of considerations: raising awareness and involving residents in the development of tourism, taking into account the well-being of the local population (e.g.: Magdalen Islands Tourism) and even a measure of their level of happiness (e.g.: Thompson-Okanagan Region). Inspiring initiatives that demonstrate the desire to develop sustainable tourism that is ever more respectful of host communities.

In this favorite article, let us inspire you with initiatives from destinations that have taken a turn for local tourism!

Our favorites

The Local Counter | A new orientation to strengthen the link with the inhabitants

In the fall of 2019, the Aunis Marais Poitvin tourist office began to think about the place of inhabitants in the territory. These reflections led to a change of direction for the destination and to several new features:

• Brèves de Comptoir: a newsletter for residents with favorite addresses, events, testimonies from local personalities;
• Reinvention of the tourist guide: the traditional tourist guide has been refined, changed its name and format, making way for L'Aunisette. This hybrid magazine between a travel inspiration magazine and a destination guide is suitable for both residents and visitors;

• One website with two entrances with content adapted for future visitors in the planning phase and for people on site (residents, but also visitors already at destination).

Julie Touya, director general of the tourist office states: “We're going to look for locals who are tourists all year round. This makes it possible to spread seasonality and to strengthen the link between inhabitants and their territory.”

The next step will be to redesign the physical space of the tourist information office to better reflect the values of the region in terms of offers and services (e.g.: sale of public transport tickets, art and local products store).

Pays des Lacs Tourism House | A call to artists from the region

It is in terms of the development of the offer for local tourism that this destination stands out. In order to promote less touristy places, the tourist office has launched a casting for local artists and entrepreneurs to find new project leaders who will aim to revitalize the regional tourist economy.

“Each project leader [presented] their offer for 5 minutes by integrating it into a tourist context: within an interior site (cave, museum, etc.); in a natural environment (forests, lake shores, etc.) or even on the square of a village during an event. ” (Excerpt from Press release of September 11, 2020)

The offer must be part of the concept of slow tourism and creative tourism. The selected entrepreneurs will be supported in setting up their activity in tourism and in choosing potential places to host the activity.

A great initiative to connect project leaders who are not from the tourism sector with more traditional tourism players!

Tourism Jasper | Inspiring videos about Jasper residents

Tourism Jasper has launched a new series,” Venture Beyond: The Serie ”, which features some of its most fascinating residents through detailed profiles, videos, and travel itineraries. Each story takes an intimate and profound look at the people who make Jasper such a unique place.

Leave here | A platform to stimulate local tourism

In France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourism will soon launch a collaborative platform. This platform aims to promote original tourist experiences that respect the natural, human and cultural heritage and that have a positive impact on communities.

This project meets a double challenge: it is aimed at regional customers and promotes benevolent and sustainable tourism offers.

What makes this project so interesting is, in our opinion, the way in which the platform was co-created. Indeed, from the start of the project, several stakeholders were involved in the form of public consultations with residents, tourist businesses and public organizations.

Passeport Attractions | Discounts for Quebecers

Since the summer of 2020, the Government of Quebec, Bonjour Québec and Évenements Attractions Québec have launched the Passeport Attraits program, a financial support for tourist attractions to allow them to offer a discount to Quebec visitors who buy a passport up to:

• 20% when buying two attractions;
• 30% when buying three attractions;
• 40% when you buy four attractions.

The Village Square | New third place for Mont-Saint-Pierre

The municipality of Mont-Saint-Pierre in Haute-Gaspésie recently published its Tourism recovery plan. Among the 5 axes of the project, the future Place du Village is intended to be a meeting place for visitors, residents and entrepreneurs since there will be a space dedicated to the discovery of activities in the region, a café-bistro and a business incubator. Although it is not yet known whether all these activities will share the same roof, this project seems strongly inspired by the dynamics of third places. Spaces like these also promote encounters between visitors and locals!

Have you ever heard of third places?

A third place is a space that has several functions and in which a variety of activities are found. They are places of conviviality, exchange, dissemination, sometimes equipped for work or equipped for experimentation (FablLab type). Third-places are spaces that meet the new specific needs of citizens and territories. They are also becoming assets in terms of tourist attractiveness and hospitality for nomadic workers.

Encourage re (discovery) and encounters

These examples show us that the boundaries between visitors and locals are blurring, forcing destination management organizations to adapt. More than ever, it is time to take into account inhabitants as stakeholders in a territory, an experience that is promoted to visitors. It is time, of course, to consider them as potential visitors as well. And it is high time, as paradoxical as it may seem at the time in a world still under the shock of a global pandemic, to promote exchange and encounter, which is essential for the acceptance of benevolent tourism.

So what do residents want? What do they need? What can they bring to the destination?

Editorial of January 23, 2024

In this month of January, full of promises and new perspectives, let us take a moment to reflect on the period that has just ended. The articles in this newsletter look back on 2023, an eventful year that saw questions about our industry intensify and particularly about its contribution to the development of territories and the valorization of communities.

If the paradigm shift should come from the various decision-making spheres, it seems obvious to us that the impetus must also emerge from the organizations that make up our ecosystem.

At Touriscope, the year 2023 will have been marked by our flight towards opality. For us, this model of horizontal management of organizations represents an essential evolution, motivated by our deep desire to see all members of our company thrive and to remain agile in a sector that is constantly changing.

Through a redistribution of responsibilities and the promotion of autonomy, Touriscope scouts actively develop their intrapreneurial abilities. Everyone's potential is unleashed to nourish our reason for being and to best meet the needs of our ecosystem.

This reinvention of the way we operate aspires to inspire other players in the sector. Rethinking our approaches contributes to raising industry standards by stimulating innovation and by positioning ourselves as an essential positive player in the influence of tourist landscapes. Let 2024 be the year in which we dare to deeply question our paradigms to shape a more innovative, caring and resilient tourism industry together.

Camille

Original TouriScope article

2023 in retrospective at Touriscope

Thanks to its various mandates in 2023, the Touriscope team of Girl Scouts was able to observe certain issues, evolutions and trends in tourism organizations in the Maritimes and Quebec. A look back at this year marked in particular by the multiplication of sustainability initiatives and tools, the highlighting of regenerative tourism, the development of accessibility in the reception and the valorization of local cultures. Continue reading the full article here.

Elsewhere on the web

The Opale organization: the new stage of business development

As explained in the editorial, the year 2023 was synonymous with a big change for Touriscope, which went from a vertical to horizontal management mode, called Opality. Highlighted in 2014 by Frédéric Laloux, this concept aims to eliminate hierarchy and thus ensure equality among company employees. The Touriscope team has thus divided roles in order to ensure the smooth running of the company. We wanted to share with you an article summarizing our new governance model. If you are interested in this concept, we will be happy to discuss it with you!

2023 Tourism Outlook by Destination Canada

In this report, Destination Canada, in collaboration with Tourism Economics, presents a A retrospective of tourism in Canada in autumn 2023 as well as tourism prospects until 2030. Tourism demand is constantly increasing and it is not over: an increase of 30% is expected in 6 years! However, the territory is currently not in a position to welcome as many visitors, which causes many challenges for the tourism industry. The most desirable scenario would be to start transforming the sector now, thus making it possible to generate 20 billion dollars per year by 2030.

Inspired by the French concept “sustainable destination animation”

It is undeniable that the integration of sustainability into the tourist offer in 2024 is a priority. So, we wanted to share with you the inspiring example of The MONA (the network of tourist offices in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France) which organized a review day last December, with forty actors from the network, on the actions implemented on the Sustainable Animation of Destination (ADDES). This event generated the deployment of numerous network initiatives, so that in 2022, no less than 149 best practices were identified in Destination Management Organizations (ODGs) in the region!

Our projects

Harmonization of the bicycle product in Bas-Saint-Laurent

In 2023, Touriscope experienced increasing demand from its customers for the development of cycle tourism. Following this trend, the Bas-Saint-Laurent tourist region asked Touriscope to carry out an opportunity study aimed at positioning the region as an essential destination for cycling enthusiasts. As part of this collaboration, a six-phase diagnosis was initiated to establish the foundations of the reflection with a view to harmonizing the bicycle product. These phases included a portrait of the current offer, a comparison with references, consultations with stakeholders, a competitive analysis, a study of traveller behavior, as well as a synthetic diagnosis. This mission made it possible to develop a regional vision for the development of cycling tourism, identifying opportunities related to the leadership and harmonization of the bicycle product, while highlighting aspects requiring particular attention.

Our services

The shift towards Opality creates added value for you and our service offer.

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Indeed, this management method favors rapid and adaptive decision-making. This translates into an ability to respond easily to course changes, opportunities, and challenges that arise.

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By distributing responsibilities, each individual has the opportunity to contribute to innovation. Ideas and talents are in the right place, promoting creativity within the organization and for our customers.

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The economic importance of tourism no longer needs to be demonstrated, but in the midst of a health and probably societal crisis, the question of the impact of tourist activity on the natural and built environment, on local populations and visitors arises. Fortunately, destinations are increasingly tending to review their strategy in order to be part of an approach that is profitable for all and in the long term. This new trend means redefining the measurement of destination performance.

Why review the way we measure our performance?

The level of performance of a territory is closely linked to its level of attractiveness and it is natural that the performance of destinations is traditionally measured by indicators of traffic, origin or economic benefits. But today, climate change, the fate of the planet and the pandemic are fertile ground for the emergence of new expectations on the part of travelers. Indeed, sustainable practices and commitments are taken more into account in the choice of destinations and tourist operators. Tourism actors must take into account the more sustainable expectations of visitors and it is therefore necessary to define long-term objectives and to detach themselves from the concept of traditional performance.

Tourism activity is fundamentally linked to territory, natural resources and communities and it is no longer possible today to think about tourism without associating it with the concept of sustainability. In the perspective of sustainable development, remember that three pillars must be taken into consideration: economic, social and environmental. Therefore, social and environmental goals should be an integral part of organizational strategies.

New approach to performance, new indicators for destinations

If we decide to see tourism performance in 3 dimensions, this also involves setting up indicators to measure these precise dimensions.

In France, Tourism Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, by noting the appearance of new forms of tourist consumption, has taken the tangent of benevolent tourism and has defined concrete indicators.

Indicators of social and environmental dimensions defined by Tourisme Auvergne Rhône-Alpes

In the same way, the new 2027 strategy by Turismo de Portugal is focused on sustainable development. The destination has developed several indicators based on recommendations from several organizations (OMT, Eurostat).

Various performance indicators were selected based on those defined by the European Commission in 2013 in the Tourism Indicator System (European Tourism Indicators System). The EITS presents 43 core indicators (revised in 2016) that cover the essential aspects of sustainability monitoring and will allow destinations to compare each other. Indicators can then be added by destinations according to their reality, for example concerning coastal or maritime aspects, accessibility, etc.

Below, here are the sustainability indicators selected by Turismo de Portugal.

Setting performance indicators for businesses

Some destinations are taking precedence over this new direction and are beginning to adapt their strategy in order to direct their actions towards “quality” tourism. These strategies understand that destinations cannot act alone and the involvement of tourism operators is essential to achieve this new performance.

As part of its strategy Swisstainable, Switzerland Tourism offers a sustainable tourism program with three levels of commitments for companies that want to obtain certification. A sustainability check must be carried out by companies in order to qualify for each level. The DMO provides a tool From sustainability monitoring to companies, there are indicators for each of the pillars of sustainable development.

For each element described, the company assigns a score from 1 to 5 and thus obtains a portrait of its company from a sustainability point of view.

In order to be in line with its mission and vision, the NPO Contact Nature, located in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, has adopted indicators to measure the achievement of each of its objectives. While some indicators are better known, such as reducing the number of waste, there are more specific measures such as increasing the number of volunteers or implementing actions to facilitate collaboration.

Here are some examples of goals set based on the indicators used by Contact Nature in its 2020-2022 sustainable development action plan:

• Increase employee understanding of sustainable development by 25%
• Implement 6 new sustainable development practices per year
• Increase social impact by 15%
• Increase the healthy lifestyles and physical activities of employees by 15%
• Implement 6 actions to promote heritage
• Implement 5 actions to facilitate collaboration between organizations
• Increase the number of eco-responsible events organized.
  

Measuring the achievement of social and environmental goals is not always complex and can be applicable to the reality of all types of organizations.

How can new indicators be determined?

In order to select indicators, it is essential to define what constitutes performance beyond profitability or the number of tourists that a destination or business welcomes. The concept of performance should be aligned with the purpose of your organization, that is, with its role in society beyond its economic activity.

Ask yourself the following questions: am I efficient because I am making the destination attractive to visitors only? What are the goals that I would like to achieve in order to consider my organization sustainable in the long term and efficient? Financial performance? Most of the time this is not enough, we think of other elements such as the well-being of communities and workers, waste management, local development, mobility, etc.

From there, it is essential to establish clear goals that meet your strategy (remember that goals must be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound). Then, comes the definition of indicators that will allow you to monitor the achievement of these objectives in a quantified manner. We learn in the review Teoros that to be relevant, the indicators must be:

• Helpful
• Dependable
• Targeted (over time)
• Comparable
  

More than a simple control measure, indicators are the dashboard that will allow you to manage your organization well, do not neglect them.

To conclude

Tourism performance must be redesigned taking into consideration the added value that tourism activity can bring to the community and the environment. Performance as currently measured (mainly from an economic point of view) is reductive and does not reflect the real potential of what the tourism industry offers.

Do you want to know more about the subject? Contact us, we will be very happy to discuss it with you!

Editorial of March 21, 2024

Spring is coming (already!) the tip of his nose and with it these days of sunshine that are getting longer. Days when our activities after work or school are slowly coming back to life. Days where free time is pleasant. Free time... this social or leisure time where you can reconnect with others, take a walk, go to the museum, do your sport, enjoy a terrace with your friends, play with your children or stroll in a park with your family.

Leisure activities are activities that we choose for pleasure and that contribute to our personal or collective development, achievement and enrichment. Apart from vacations and trips (which not everyone can afford, let's remember), free time is, in my opinion, space-time to be reclaimed in our tourism industry if we want to be compatible with reasoned, responsible, social and local tourism.

In our territories, there is a wide range of customers, sometimes still invisible to our eyes (teenagers, families, workers, immigrants, health personnel, residents, merchants, merchants, students, students, indigenous communities,

local producers, artists, newcomers, people with modest incomes, etc.) who are just waiting to take advantage of our attractions, our landscapes and our activities. In our workshops with locals, we are still surprised at their lack of knowledge of their own region!

Let's revalue free time and these recreational activities that can be manual, artistic, cultural, sporting or outdoor. As you will see in our selected articles, they contribute to our well-being and happiness on a daily basis. Let's broaden our discussions with all of these actors for a more coherent and harmonious development.

If you are like me sensitive to this natural and necessary shift from a development and a tourist economy to a more recreotouristic economy, I leave you to your free time... to read!

Nadège

Original TouriScope article

Tourism as a lever for reconnecting with the territory

In a changing world, where the socio-ecological transition is emerging as an imperative, the tourism industry is positioned as a powerful lever to re-establish the link between individuals and their territory.

This societal transition, guided by a long-term vision, seeks to evolve from an economic growth model to a sustainable balance, taking into account environmental and social issues. Thus, tourism is proving to be a preferred way to encourage this fundamental reconnection. However, recreational tourism is proving to be an important avenue for this reconciliation.

In this perspective, we invite you to discover the six levers of tourism aimed at promoting this reconnection. From promoting local products to organizing events celebrating regional heritage, to entertaining educational excursions and enriching interpretive tools, each initiative contributes to forging deep connections between travelers and their environment. Discover without further delay our article on this subject, which discusses reconnecting with the land through examples of recreational tourism.

Elsewhere on the web

Recreation tourism in East Montreal

Discover a in-depth analysis on the recreational tourism potential of eastern Montreal. This study provides a detailed overview of the variety of experiences possible in this part of the city and the mosaic of visitors who might be interested in them. The article highlights current challenges and promising opportunities to increase the economic impact of recreational tourism. The strategic recommendations are based on a bold 2030 recreotourism vision that aims to radically transform the tourist landscape in eastern Montreal by promoting spaces whose uses and experiences are as beneficial for citizens as for visitors.

Recreation therapy by nature

From playing sports to contemplating in nature, each immersion can influence our well-being. These activities would offer unique benefits, stimulating the hormones of happiness and promoting a deep self-connection with the places visited. The article explores also the scientific evidence behind the mental health benefits of being outdoors. Indeed, the World Health Organization confirms that time spent in nature reduces stress, builds self-confidence, and even improves our mental abilities, thus increasing our creativity and concentration. Five initiatives from Quebec are presented here and can serve as inspiration to create and offer local recreational tourism experiences while taking into account the benefits that this can bring to all.

Practicing your leisure time on vacation

In English, we call them the “hobbiday”. This article talks about a real trend of 2024: doing simple recreational activities that provide us with dopamine and that simply contribute to our well-being, while traveling. Gardening, pottery, cooking, dancing, painting, painting, painting, fishing, hiking... these activities that usually make up our daily lives are also what tourists are looking for when traveling, now prioritizing their mental health above all else. An ode to slow time and recreational activities!

New imaginaries: the value of free time and leisure

Vacations in the sun, especially away from home, have long been about happiness and disconnection. What if we restored the image of recreational activities as a pillar of our daily balance? What if we made it a real “art of living”? This article questions our relationship to free time and provides us with some elements for reflection on its use. Alternative to overcrowding, time to reconnect with others so important in our context of social divide, solution to the climate crisis... The author's questioning about free time brings us to our relationship to time in general. What value are we going to give it?

Our projects

Recreational, nautical and cultural center - Lachine Canal

Touriscope is proud to have contributed to first steps of the reflections to transform the former Lachine marina into a real recreational, nautical and cultural park serving citizens first and foremost. Indeed, the desire was to allow residents to reappropriate the site and to develop the waterfront park and the surroundings of the Lachine Canal in order to democratize access to water, protect the banks and revitalize this space to make it a vibrant living environment. The main objective of the project is to improve the quality of life of the population by promoting physical activity and recreation as well as by revitalizing this heritage sector of Old Lachine and the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. TourScope contributed to this large-scale project with a benchmark that allowed the partners to draw inspiration from good practices that were being done elsewhere and the positive impacts that this had had. Today, the transformation of this site is continuing in concrete terms and major works are continuing.

Touriscope at the 2024 Quebec Leisure Forum

One of our Girl Scouts, Sophie Monnier, recently participated in the 8th edition of the Quebec Leisure Forum. This annual event is intended to be a place of exchange to reflect on the challenges and issues of the environment, in particular access to leisure. A segment was devoted to recreotourism and more particularly to the transition to the regenerative sector where the speaker invited us to rethink our relationship with territories and to build relationships in a different way. After a fairly clear observation on sustainable tourism, in his opinion, regenerative initiatives are much more necessary and positive. This requires a complete review of our way of thinking: ideas must come from the community and initiatives must above all meet the expectations of locals. If the territory is dynamic for locals, it will be dynamic for tourists. Thus, let's regenerate culture, lifestyles, landscapes or traditions. Let's work on this ability to regenerate these non-market resources and promote local activities.

Our services

Use our services...

Maximize your success with our expertise. We can help you conduct a thorough analysis that will assess the feasibility and potential for success of a particular project or idea.

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Editorial of May 16, 2024

Did you know that in the opal structure of Touriscope, a role is now dedicated to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)? While integrating these principles is a shared responsibility, the EDI role aims to ensure that Touriscope remains open to diversity and sensitive to everyone's realities.

We recently formalized our commitment by drafting an EDI charter. This charter testifies to our determination to integrate these values into each of our actions, whether within our team, with our partners or with our clientele.Training, gradual integration of inclusive writing, sharing initiatives that promote inclusive experiences, representation of diversity, representation of diversity, more accessible workshops... We will be humble in our learning, aware that there will be experiments and perhaps some mistakes, but our commitment remains firm: we will be change agents in our industry.

We deeply believe that our industry has the power to catalyze change towards a more just and inclusive world. And there are plenty of examples to prove us right: an accessible spa and a safe place for people in the 2SLGBTQ+ community and hotels that strongly believe in the endless potential of neurodiversity. Shedding light on these initiatives and studies that contribute to making our industry better.
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Thank you for your continued support in this essential process and especially thank you to all the people who are actors of change!

Audrey

Our projects - Touriscope

The EDI at Jolie Vie Spa & Wellness Retreat

Touriscope was commissioned by Jolie Vie Spa Wellness Retreat, located in New Brunswick, to develop a strategic plan. The aim of the project is to improve the relaxing experience, promote inclusion and maintain its position as a spa focused on the needs of the community. Indeed, the spa is fully equipped to accommodate customers with reduced mobility. Plus, it's Rainbow certified, which means the spa provides a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ customers and staff. Touriscope contributed to this project by supporting the team in thinking about the purpose, mission, vision as well as by identifying objectives, actions and priorities.

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Elsewhere on the web

Hotel initiatives at the service of the community

Thanks to the vision of its managing director, the Manoir d'Youville in Châteauguay has adopted an inclusive recruitment approach, integrating neuroatypical people suffering from autism or intellectual disabilities. This demonstrates a deep commitment to inclusion and diversity. In addition to ecological actions and local initiatives, the Manoir offers an enriching hotel experience, where each staff member contributes to a warm and welcoming atmosphere. This approach has earned the establishment several awards and inspires other hotels to follow the same path. These efforts are transforming the hotel industry into a more inclusive and supportive sector, offering unique and rewarding customer experiences while creating opportunities for populations that are often marginalized in the labor market.

Fostering authentic relationships with Black travelers

A recent study published in Afar magazine and Tourism Geographies highlights the desires of black travelers for more authentic representation and a genuine connection with the black community. The results show that Black people traveling are looking for tourism businesses owned by Black people, as well as guides and experiences that reflect their diversity and intersecting identities. By focusing on authenticity, tourism businesses can create more inclusive and meaningful experiences. These travelers notice the small details that contribute to an experience where they feel valued and recognized. Symbolic gestures are not enough; a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion is needed.

Crossing Cultural Boundaries: A New Approach to Diversity and Inclusion

As the conversation around equity, diversity, and inclusion grows, many organizations are looking for tangible ways to foster more inclusive work environments. But where do you start? In this landscape, intercultural agility stands out as a promising path, offering a caring approach that can have significant long-term impacts.

What is intercultural agility? It is the ability to recognize and accept cultural differences in depth, in order to better adapt and navigate multicultural contexts. This involves developing a thorough understanding of one's own culture in order to better understand realities that are different from ours. Learn more by reading this article !

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Touriscope News

Touriscope participates in a webinar on inclusive and sustainable tourism

Elise, our scout, recently took part in a webinar on accessibility in sustainable tourism, organized by Kéroul in partnership with UQAM. This meeting was marked by the presence of several renowned speakers.

Here are the highlights to remember:

• The Palais des Congrès de Montréal submits their action plan to the Office des Personnes Handicapées du Québec, which reviews the plan.
• Festivoix opens the doors to a revolutionary festival, offering up to 9,000 accessible seats and cultural experiences adapted to everyone.
• The Disability Equality Council in Switzerland shares its challenges and successes, including the addition of translating lyrics into sign language.

For Elise, this experience was a source of enrichment, where innovation and inclusion were at the heart of discussions about the future of sustainable tourism. And for those who want to know more, the webinar is now available online.

EDI at Touriscope

During our strategic retreat last April, the Touriscope team came together for a reflection and brainstorm activity on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The objective was to discuss concrete ways to transform our practices, behaviors, services and much more. We have addressed several crucial points in order to define tangible actions that will be integrated into our new CSR action plan (Corporate Social Responsibility). How can we commit to EDI through our workshop activities, our deliverables, our relationships with our partners, etc.? This meeting was an important step in our commitment to EDI and we are in a position to implement our first actions!

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Do you know collective entrepreneurship? In Quebec, this includes cooperative businesses and non-profit organizations (NPoS), which are present in large numbers in the tourism sector. These models have proven their worth and have huge potential. However, they are still relatively unknown in tourism and their impact is underestimated. This is why the Quebec Regional Development Cooperative (CDRQ) has launched an action plan for the strategic tourism and leisure sectors. And since then, projects and results have been piling up.

In this article, I highlight these actors of change for our territories, with a focus on the structuring actions of the CDRQ and tourism cooperatives. Do not hesitate to draw parallels with France or elsewhere in the world in comments, I would be very interested to know if the Quebec context is similar or not to yours!

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THE PROACTIVE SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM

I had the chance to talk to Andrée Pelletier, who is in charge of implementing the Action plan for strategic tourism and leisure sectors (PASTEL) at the CDRQ and a true partner for collective entrepreneurship in tourism and leisure in Quebec! She shared details about the genesis and advancement of PASTEL and spoke passionately to me about the stories of entrepreneurs supported by her organization.

The objective of the CDRQ is to revitalize Quebec territories through the development of collective entrepreneurship. Based on the observation that collective entrepreneurship was not well known enough in tourism and leisure and that its economic impact was underestimated, in 2023 the CDRQ launched an action plan for this sector, PASTEL:

The Tourism and Recreation Strategic Sectors Action Plan aims to Characterise, network and consolidate Existing Collective Enterprises, to Develop a Culture of Use of collective entrepreneurship for the development of territories, and to Responding to the Challenges of the industry through this approach based on collaboration between stakeholders and the sharing of expertise and resources.

Through PASTEL, the CDRQ aims to arouse the interest of tourism entrepreneurs in the cooperative and commercial NPO model. Also, the objective is to make regional and sectoral tourism associations as well as territorial development actors aware of the social and economic benefits for the population.

In total, 1.3 million Canadian dollars (about 870,000 euros) have been and will be invested in promotion and training actions, a call for projects to support 10 companies ($150,000), the financing of learning missions for collective enterprises ($50,000), the financing of learning missions for collective enterprises ($50,000), the support for sharing projects and the organization of a Symposium, which took place last May. I had the chance to attend this event where I experienced the very beautiful exchanges between actors in the social economy, tourism and leisure!

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FOCUS ON COOPERATIVES, A PROMISING MODEL FOR OUR TERRITORIES

Cooperatives are collective enterprises that respond above all to the needs and challenges of the local community, in particular of their members. They have multiple advantages compared to a private business, including the fact that they offer greater longevity, as shown by the figures (Quebec): after 5 years, 64% of cooperatives are still active, compared to 33% of private businesses!

There are several models of tourist cooperatives:

• Workers' Cooperatives (for example: some microbreweries);
• Producer cooperatives, such as the network Origin: Hotel Artisans Which brings together independent hoteliers, or the Neighborhood at the end of the world Which brings together, on the initiative of Auberge Le Baluchon, local businesses offering services to their customers;
• Solidarity Cooperatives Which includes at least two categories of members. According to several Studies, these cooperatives contribute to social cohesion and seem to create a very favourable breeding ground for social innovation. See examples below.

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3 EXAMPLES OF SOLIDARITY COOPERATIVES

What is particularly interesting is the fact that cooperatives act as a tool for territorial development. This is the case of solidarity cooperatives, which make it possible to bring together a diversity of tourist offers within a territory. Their raison d'être revolves around coming together and collective action. They are driven by values of solidarity, cooperation, respect for the environment and the well-being of the local community. Their mission goes beyond tourism, as you will see in the following examples. Solidarity Cooperatives cannot leave anyone indifferent!

• L'Affluent, for a lively and unifying place

The Very Recent Solidarity Cooperative Project L'Affluent aims to enhance and manage a heritage site, the historic estate in Liguori, located in the Charlevoix region, through, among other things, a youth hostel, a cultural café, a campsite, a campsite, a campsite, a campsite, a public market, a public market, a public market, a public market, a maple grove and ecotourism activities.

Excerpt from his mission:

Through an inclusive approach, it seeks to promote community, cultural and environmental initiatives dedicated to forging intergenerational and intercultural bonds of solidarity that bring the local community together and celebrate exchanges with visiting visitors. 

The notion of “village heart” seems to resonate among its members and guide the choice of their projects. In addition, the conversion of the site into a tourist site makes it possible to promote an element of regional heritage and also to keep alive one of the last maple groves in Charlevoix. The tourist offer thus becomes a pretext for the preservation of culture and know-how.

• Vallée Bras-du-Nord, reconciling the various uses on a territory

For over 20 years, Bras-du-Nord Valley offers outdoor activities and accommodations over 4 seasons in the Quebec City region. The cooperative was born out of a need to structure trail networks in the municipality. From the start, it aimed to promote cohabitation between residents, workers and producers (activity providers). One of their priorities was to coordinate rights of way, as their territory consisted of public and private land. Thus, among the supporting members, the cooperative has owners who offer a right of way. Today, it is recognized for its ability to reconcile the different uses of its territory. Here is its model:

I could not ignore their social involvement and their impact on the community, thanks to their numerous projects, including:

• Socio-professional reintegration project : Annual Reception of 10 Young Adults in Difficulty Who Work on the Trail Network
• Development of an education program Through Adventure and Nature with a High School

• Cap Jaseux Adventure Park, 4-season diversification

This site on the north shore of the Saguenay Fjord belongs to the municipality of Saint-Fulgence and has been managed, maintained and developed for nearly 25 years by the solidarity cooperative of Cap Jaseux. What sets this cooperative apart is its ability, over the years, to reinvent its offer and innovate.

It is one of the few tourist attractions in the region to offer such a wide variety of outdoor activities and ecotourism over 4 seasons: sea kayaking, via ferrata, hebertism courses, mushroom picking, massage therapy, fishing, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking and ecotourism over 4 seasons: sea kayaking, via ferrata, hebertism courses, mushroom picking, massage therapy, fishing, massage therapy, fishing, fishing, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking, hiking etc.

According to her, this diversification was possible thanks to her cooperative model. In particular, this allowed it to seek 10.6 million dollars (7.1 million euros) in financing in 2022 to improve its reception infrastructures and add a winter offer.

In these three examples, the cooperative model corresponded to the initial needs of the projects and was a powerful driver of development. That said, we must not lose sight of the fact that their success also comes from long-term work and that the model has its share of challenges.

Collective entrepreneurship is a way of thinking and acting beyond the health of your company alone. Each cooperative or commercial NPO benefits an entire community from the fruits of their efforts. So to speak, it is in line with the regenerative approach, which means taking care of the destination by taking actions that will have the effect of regenerating the vitality of places, populations, businesses, communities, communities, communities, communities, communities, communities, communities, ecological systems, ecological systems and ecological systems and enriching visitors.

What could be more inspiring?

Thanks to Andrée Pelletier from the CDRQ for her generous sharing of information.

Editorial of July 17, 2024

Collective entrepreneurship is one of the things in life that is obvious. Anchored in human values and dedicated to the common good, it is convincing as the solution to many challenges, not only for the organizations in question (cooperatives and NPOs), but also more generally for the community. As you will see through this newsletter, the collective benefits are numerous: economic and social revitalization of territories, development of a sense of belonging to the community, greater tourist attractiveness, pooling of resources, lever for innovation, etc.

Here we present to you inspiring tourist cooperatives that have succeeded in doing well, and their business model is not for nothing!

Outdoor and adventure sites, agrotourism farms, hostels, inns, inns, guided adventure holidays, electric bike rental services, aboriginal tourist centers or festivals, there is no shortage of examples.

In Quebec, the Quebec Regional Development Cooperative believes in the potential for the tourism industry and is taking several actions in this direction. In Nova Scotia, a destination promotion organization was created under a cooperative model and promotes its member businesses. In short, if this is not already the case, this newsletter will convince you that collective entrepreneurship is a model perfectly suited to the tourism sector!

Aude

Exclusive article - Touriscope

Collective entrepreneurship in tourism, a must for our destinations

Do you know collective entrepreneurship? This model includes cooperative and commercial NPOs, which are numerous in the tourism sector. These entities have proven their effectiveness and their immense potential, even if they are still relatively unknown and their benefits underestimated. To change this dynamic, the Quebec Regional Development Cooperative launched the Action Plan for strategic sectors, tourism and leisure, accumulating numerous projects and results since then. Discover without further delay Our article About It!

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Elsewhere on the Web

Rural cooperatives in southeastern Mexico aim for reconciling tourism

Ana Piña, a tourist guide from Tekit, Yucatán, is realizing her childhood dream by uniting people through tourism, directly benefiting her community. In a context where tourism tends to more than 6% of Mexican GDP, with 90% of tourism production attributed to services, excursions and packages from travel agencies are emerging as sources of considerable profits. This phenomenon paves the way for sustainable and equitable development through cultural revaluation. Ana is part of the Yaax Tekit cooperative, which promotes community and participatory tourism. Despite her initial doubts, she trained and discovered this model, which engages visitors in the daily life of the community. Today, Ana and her colleagues share the wealth of their Mayan culture with tourists, involving up to fifty local families. Rural cooperative tourism, as practised by Ana, transforms perspectives and enriches cultural ties. Read the article to find out more.

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Social economy and sustainable tourism in Quebec

The social economy, or collective entrepreneurship, is developing rapidly in Quebec, affecting approximately 12,000 businesses and 220,000 workers. This business model is based on democratic and collaborative governance, reinvesting profits in the community and defending the common good. The solidarity cooperative of Percé Geopark offers a variety of activities and accommodations, contributing to the local economy. The Vallée Bras-du-Nord cooperative, with its socio-professional integration program, is an example of the positive impact of this model on the community. To learn more about the importance of the social economy in tourism and discover concrete examples, read the full article here.

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The South Shore Tourism Cooperative: An Inspiring Model

Since 2012, the South Shore Tourism Cooperative in Nova Scotia has been an example of success in collective tourism entrepreneurship in the province. The co-op brings together local businesses, festivals, museums, and activities all along the coast, from Barrington to Peggy's Cove. Thanks to effective collaboration and its efforts to promote the destination, it succeeds in increasing occupancy rates and revenues, while extending the tourist season. Cooperatives, such as the one on the South Shore, show how a collective approach can strengthen local communities and promote tourism actors in a destination. To find out more, Visit their web page

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Awaken the potential of the community with collective tourism social entrepreneurship

The Collective Tourism Social Entrepreneurship (ESTC) model is an innovative approach that combines economic development and community building. ESTC starts with the identification of resource constraints. Rather than resigning themselves, the community is using tourism as a lever to overcome these obstacles. By mobilizing available resources, solutions are developed and implemented collectively. This active participation motivates members and reinforces community engagement. For tourism operators, adopting this model offers a promising path to revitalize communities and create lasting social impact. ESTC shows that tourism and social entrepreneurship can work together for positive change.

Projects - Touriscope

The Madawaska Recreational Tourism Cooperative

Touriscope is proud to have supported the Madawaska Recreational Tourism Cooperative in the transformation of the Mont Farlagne outdoor center into a four-season destination. This ambitious project, led by a cooperative, highlights the importance of community collaboration and structural partnerships with local associations and organizations. Thanks to the active involvement of cooperative members and their desire to meet the needs of the community, this project is an inspiring example of what collective entrepreneurship can achieve.

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To illustrate this reflection, I am taking you to Quebec, more precisely on the North Shore in Tadoussac, the third largest tourist destination in the province and one of the best places in the world for observing marine mammals.

Tourism at the service of research and conservation

I won't talk to you so much about tourism, but rather about research, education, and conservation. Since 1985, the Marine Mammal Research and Education Group (GREMM) in Tadoussac is dedicated to scientific research on whales in the St. Lawrence and to education for the conservation of the marine environment. As part of a project, I had the chance to meet the co-founder, Patrice Corbeil. As I learned about their initiatives, the distinctive character of this organization became more and more obvious, thanks to its multiple benefits, including tourism.

Indeed, a few years after its creation, GREMM founded the Marine Mammal Interpretation Center (CIMM), a museum institution dedicated to raising awareness and educating about marine mammals in the St. Lawrence. This allowed it to assert its educational role even more clearly.

GREMM uses the CIMM as a vehicle to meet its mission and raise awareness about environmental issues. In return, the income generated by the Interpretation Center (entrance fees, shop) benefits scientific research. Before presenting two promising projects, here is a short portrait of the CIMM.

A Museum That Meets Whales and Scientists

The CIMM is distinguished by...

• Its largest collection of whale skeletons in Canada, including a 13-meter sperm whale and a North Atlantic right whale. Thanks to a superb play of light, their exhibition hall honors the grandiose nature of these mammals.

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• Its location on the rocks between the St. Lawrence estuary and the mouth of the Saguenay River, offering a panoramic view to observe belugas, rorquals, seals, etc.

• The possibility of interacting with scientists, whether it is the GREMM team that comes back from sea and shares its observations or that of the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Network, which comes to present some current cases.

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Combining Scientific Research and Visitor Experience

• Whales Live

Created in 2000 by GREMM, Whaleensendirect.org has established itself as the essential site for raising awareness and educating the public about the whales of the St. Lawrence. This portal combines an exhaustive encyclopedia on cetaceans and a magazine for news and popular science. Researchers, volunteers and enthusiasts contribute to the transmission of information, through field observations, photographs and articles.

It is a great way to maintain a link with CIMM visitors and to arouse the interest of various audiences for a future visit. This platform makes it possible to continue the observation experience virtually, for example thanks to this map, which is updated regularly:

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• Window on Belugas

The GREMM is carrying out the brand new collaborative project “Window on Belugas”. It is an immersive and innovative beluga observation experience from terrestrial sites on the banks of the river and at the CIMM. Drones and hydrophones capture and broadcast live the sounds and behaviors of belugas, offering an ecological alternative to observation at sea. At the CIMM, images and sounds are broadcast on the big screen and naturalists comment live, thus providing explanations on the behaviors observed.

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This project, in collaboration in particular with Ocean Wise, meets conservation objectives by limiting the impact of watercraft on belugas, while enriching scientific knowledge on their social behaviors. By combining research and education, this initiative is in line with Gremm's mission, by transforming research results into an educational experience accessible to the general public.

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Community Involvement

The CIMM is also committed to its ownership by the community. Admission is free for residents of Tadoussac, in order to create a network of ambassadors. It also organizes “out-of-frame” events for them: movie nights and video games thanks to the new big screen in Window on Belugas. In winter, it opens the doors of the museum on demand, for residents or visitors passing through.

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Whales fascinated, and GREMM quickly understood that they would allow it to attract visitors and then raise their awareness on important topics such as the protection of biodiversity and the fight against climate change.

The purpose of the Marine Mammal Interpretation Center goes well beyond tourism and financial goals. It is an inspiring example to bring more meaning to our sector!

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Bonus:

GREMM collaborated with the Quebec author of successful children's novels, India Desjardins, to write her documentary book for children about whales, Whales and us. Another involvement allowing him to reach a wider audience and to transmit his message “outside the walls.”

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Editorial of September 12, 2024

The meeting and convention market is an exciting sector, at the crossroads of innovation and tourism development. It not only helps to boost destinations throughout the year, but also to pave the way for new ideas and collaborations. In a context where flexibility and adaptation are essential, business events are becoming stepping stones to shape the future of tourism.

In this newsletter, we explore how conference tourism is evolving to meet current needs. Learn about emerging trends that are transforming the attendee experience, allowing organizers to maximize the impact of their events. See also how conventions and meetings adapt to the expectations of participants in order to attract them.

For example, in the workplace, well-being is now a major priority, reflecting a significant trend

Finally, learn more about the importance of conference tourism for the attractiveness of destinations thanks to the example of the Costa del Sol, a leading destination in Spain, which reinforces its position in this competitive market.

Hopefully, these perspectives will broaden your understanding of the sector and stimulate thought-provoking thinking for your next initiatives.

Sophie

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Spotlight on a Touriscope project

How to facilitate the attraction of international business events

As part of a study for Tourisme Laval and the Quebec Ministry of Tourism, we developed a comparative analysis of incentives aimed at attracting international events to Quebec, in collaboration with #MEET4IMPACT. A first deliverable made it possible to draw up a portrait of the actors involved, the types of events concerned, the importance of incentives in the criteria for selecting destinations and the conditions for obtaining them. A correlation was made between the expectations and needs of the organizers and the offer of incentives from the destinations. Finally, some issues and trends were detailed. A second deliverable shed light on the incentive programs in fifteen destinations around the world. The analysis of these programs, combined with the elements raised in the first deliverable, made it possible to issue recommendations in order to develop an incentive program to attract international business events to Quebec.

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Elsewhere on the web

Technology and innovation at the heart of events

The Cvent article identifies major trends in the event industry in 2024, highlighting a convergence between technology, sustainability, and cost control. At the very beginning of this list of trends is the importance of the human aspect in events and conferences. According to the article, “in-person experiences provide more opportunities for deeper engagement, networking, and interactions, making them essential for business.” Technology is becoming essential, with tools like shared room diagrams, facilitating collaboration between organizers and suppliers, while optimizing tight budgets. Finally, events are also becoming more sustainable and accessible, meeting the growing expectations of consumers for responsible actions. While cost is still a barrier, actions such as reducing plastics and selecting local suppliers offer affordable solutions. This article shows how current trends can transform your next meetings..

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International congresses, innovation and important legacies

Business tourism continues to evolve in Montreal, a city that, according to the Palais des Congrès, hosts 56% of international events held in Canada. As this recent article in La Presse illustrates, large-scale events leave important legacies, both for the economy and for the local social and cultural fabric. Hosting these congresses not only makes it possible to generate substantial economic benefits for local businesses, but also to strengthen local capacities in research, innovation and training. All of this has a significant impact on the human capital of destinations. These international events also promote the exchange of knowledge and create networks that last beyond the time the events are held. To learn more about Montreal's goals and ambitions in this sector, we invite you to read the full article here.

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Pushing tourism seasonality through meetings

Business tourism continues to evolve in Montreal, a city that, according to the Palais des Congrès, hosts 56% of international events held in Canada. As this recent article in La Presse illustrates, large-scale events leave important legacies, both for the economy and for the local social and cultural fabric. Hosting these congresses not only makes it possible to generate substantial economic benefits for local businesses, but also to strengthen local capacities in research, innovation and training. All of this has a significant impact on the human capital of destinations. These international events also promote the exchange of knowledge and create networks that last beyond the time the events are held. To learn more about Montreal's goals and ambitions in this sector, we invite you to read the full article here.

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News - Touriscope

Touriscope at the 2024 World Acadian Congress

Our two Girl Scouts Réanne and Camille were present at World Acadian Congress 2024, which took place in the Acadian regions of Clare and Argyle in Nova Scotia in August. Already from the region, Réanne was proud to represent and share her beautiful part of the country during this event. At the CMA Economic Forum, organized by the Nova Scotia Economic Development Council and Sainte-Anne University, Camille participated in a panel on sustainable tourism. This event was an opportunity to network, to discover businesses and economic actors as well as to take advantage of the territory by discovering culture, food and people!

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