Sustainable, year-round mountain tourism

The main goal of Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est (Tourism Eastern Townships) and the Government of Quebec is to consolidate the region's four-season tourism offerings. Moreover, the subsidies will allow tourism businesses to plan for the future.

Consultation, mobilization and partnerships

The Eastern Townships region has no fewer than 48 accessible peaks with the potential to develop recreational tourism. Those are subdivided into groupings of 25 summits and Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est (TCE), partnering with business consultancy Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, has drawn up an inventory of key tourism businesses and municipal stakeholders (along with a map) that operate in these mountain regions, to establish the on-the-ground realities. This consultative process has resulted in a detailed picture of each of the 25 summits, both from the point of view of tourism and the types of communities in the surrounding areas.

The next step was a major consultation held earlier this fall, that brought together tourism stakeholders, politicians and representatives of various organizations in order to present the results to them and at the same time, identify common challenges. Working in partnership with one another, these leaders came up with a number of key projects and priorities, making it possible to determine what factors should be included in the Call for Proposals. 

“In order to be effective, sustainable, responsible tourism - like the future of mountain tourism - requires input from the local community and the involvement of a variety of stakeholders,” explains Isabelle Charlebois, general manager of TCE. “Our objective is to mobilize the regional tourism sector around promising projects which will, ultimately, consolidate our position as a year-round destination.”

Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals is scheduled to run from December 11, 2023 to March 1, 2024. The Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Lanaudière region, Ms. Caroline Proulx, welcomes this opportunity for local actors to showcase the potential of mountain tourism and to demonstrate their expertise.

“Mountain tourism is an integral part of the Eastern Townships' tourism offering and it plays a large part in making the region a unique, sought-after destination,” says Minister Proulx. “I strongly encourage tourism entrepreneurs in the region to diversify their activities by submitting ideas for innovative projects – not least because it benefits the tourism industry as a whole. We want our communities to prosper and thrive, so let's develop a sustainable local economy by supporting our mountain tourism sector!”

The criteria for the Call for Proposals have been identified as follows:

1. Local sourcing and economic partnerships
2. Mountain structure plan
3. Adaptation to climate change
4. Professionalization and pooling of resources

Who is eligible?

For-profit organizations (FPOs), nonprofit organizations (NPOs), cooperatives, municipal entities, indigenous communities and nations (recognized by National Assembly of Quebec), as well as First Nations organizations and businesses (or a grouping thereof) are invited to submit a proposal. TCE particularly encourages collaborative projects that employ partnerships to satisfy the criteria outlined above.

The regional tourist association (ATR) is confident that the Plan Montagnes will kickstart further development on the mountains, especially with the incentive of $1 million to support innovative and sustainable tourism projects. The Call for Proposals is likely to motivate investors to partner with businesses around the mountain regions, allowing them to diversify their tourism offerings and become year-round destinations.

About Tourism Eastern Townships

Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est (Tourism Eastern Townships) is one of 21 tourism associations (ATRs) in Quebec and the official representative of Quebec's Ministry of Tourism in the Eastern Townships. Since 1978, the TCE's mission has been to promote tourism development, marketing the region within Quebec and internationally. TCE brings together more than 600 members representing more than 1,000 tourism offerings throughout the 9 regional county municipalities (MRCs) and in all sectors of the tourism industry: accommodation, restaurants, attractions, activities and events.

The Eastern Townships is the fourth most popular tourist destination in Quebec. The region attracts some 10 million visitors every year, accounting for 6.5 million overnight stays and a tourism spend of more than $900 million annually. The tourism sector is also the region's fourth largest employer, accounting for 18,000 jobs.

Source :  Shanny Hallé  

Media relations

Tourism Eastern Townships

Cell: (819) 821-1220 | Email : shalle@atrce.com