Quebec embarks on a shift toward sustainable tourism

Montauban Falls Park (Photo: Tourism Quebec)

Sustainable tourism is gaining popularity, but there is still much work to be done to adapt to climate change, say industry leaders in Quebec.

"We can really see that the sustainable aspect is an attractive argument for tourists," says Aurélie de Blois, communications, public relations and media advisor for Tourisme Montréal.

"More and more travellers are influenced by climate change and feel responsible travel is important."

A survey conducted by the Transat-UQAM Chair in Tourism last November concluded that only 26 per cent of Quebec travellers had changed their habits to consider climate change.

Twenty-two per cent of respondents had chosen accommodation or activity for its sustainable nature, and only 10 per cent had paid to make their vacation carbon neutral.

"Currently, consumers do not want to make an effort to make their trip more sustainable, but if they have the choice between two similar offers at a relatively equivalent price, they will prefer this option," notes Marc-Antoine Vachon, Chairholder.

"That's the challenge: the industry has to work to make these benefits effortless for the consumer."

"We think that in the future, tourists will travel less often, but longer, to reduce their carbon footprint," says Martin Soucy, general manager of the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec.

"It is, therefore, up to tourism companies and organizations to create an attractive and sustainable offer. If we don't get on board, we will lose our clientele because the more the years go by, the more this element will be important in the consumers' decision," warns Vachon.

Tourisme Montréal announced last week that it had joined the World Council on Sustainable Tourism, which "establishes global standards for sustainable development."

The organization, which brings together some 960 members of the city's tourism industry, including restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, museums and stores, was ranked first in North America for its environmentally responsible practices, according to the Global Destination Sustainability Index from last November.

In the summer of 2022, Tourisme Montréal launched the Harmonious Destination initiative, a sustainable tourism intervention framework that aims to make the city an "exemplary tourist destination" by 2030, said de Blois. "We offer training, we share examples of inspiring practices, and we have developed a guide to eco-responsible practices, among others."

SLOWLY BUT SURELY

"Despite all the goodwill of the tourism industry, progress is being made at a snail's pace," says Vachon. "At first, the community was aware of the need to develop practices, but it didn't take as long as we had hoped. We thought it would have happened more quickly."

He offered examples of digital solutions, for which Quebec has recently invested several million dollars: "We've been talking about it for a long time, but in some cases, it took the pandemic to make it happen, for example, for organizations to start taking payments online or to have an online reservation platform," he says.

Soucy believes that tourism businesses had to recover from the blow of the pandemic before they could begin or continue a shift toward sustainable tourism.

"There is a real interest on the part of Quebec entrepreneurs, but first, they had to get out of their survival mode," he notes. "Many have already put initiatives in place and are moving in the right direction."

The industry also has the provincial government's support, as Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx has issued the "rallying cry" needed to start the movement to make Quebec a leader in sustainable tourism, he says.

Already, the province has a Sustainable Tourism Action Plan to support the industry's efforts. Greener tourism, respect for host communities and advocating local sourcing are the crux of the approach.

"Quebec is not starting from scratch," says Soucy. "We have great wealth in our heritage and are very welcoming. Here, we already recognize that tourism contributes to the economic vitality of the regions. The human experience, our ability to share with visitors, is an element that will allow Quebec to distinguish itself."

"For example, tourists will value environmental protection if Quebecers, as hosts, make them understand that it is important to them," says Soucy.

CALCULATING THE IMPACT

The impact of tourism on Quebec's carbon footprint is not clearly defined, says Vachon.

"We don't yet know the real carbon footprint of many tourism behaviours or processes, and the industry is still defining and debating whether or not to include certain elements," he notes.

Take the example of an airplane flight: should the ecological bill for the trip be attributed to the departure or destination country?

Other initiatives are already underway but have yet to be evaluated.

"We don't know if the strategies have worked if they have brought something positive," says Vachon.

"We are still at the beginning of the process in some sectors but more advanced in others. We need to know where we are starting to act and then measure the impact of our actions. But even then, the indicators for doing so have yet to be defined in many cases."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 8, 2023.