Charlevoix @ GouvQc Gaëlle Leroyer
A structured sustainability assessment tool
Sustainable travel doesn’t mean aiming for perfection; it involves making a series of more conscious choices that reflect one’s values. A growing number of Québec agencies are rethinking their travel packages to limit their impact and offer more responsible, authentic, and inspiring experiences, without compromising on the pleasures of travelling.
ARF-Québec has developed an assessment tool to support them. It provides widely recognized benchmarks for sustainability and best practices in connection with local economies, the environment, and host communities. Every decision counts, and every carefully planned trip can be a step in the right direction and a story to share.
Gaspésie @ GouvQc Pierre Carbonneau
Trips designed by local agencies
Receptive operators and tour operators who belong to ARF-Québec have re-examined their practices and are pursuing their commitment to sustainability. Through the various group and individual packages they offer, they demonstrate the value of working with a travel professional when purchasing a travel package in Québec.
Travellers can enjoy competitive rates and exclusive offers, along with simplified planning and time savings. Moreover, they get access to advice and handy information from travel specialists, who are also more familiar with the regional destinations. For travellers, this adds up to concrete support and assistance before, during, and after their trip, in addition to easy access to travel insurance offers and favourable policies.
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean @ GouvQc Outpost
New and more sustainable trips to remote areas
Exploring Québec’s hinterland, taking the roads less-travelled, and meeting local communities are all examples of concrete steps toward more sustainable tourism. While the destination is not the only defining factor in sustainable travel, several agencies offer trips focused on exploring more remote areas, such as the North Shore, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Eeyou Istchee Baie-James, and the Magdalen Islands.
Travelling outside high season can also contribute to sustainability, without sacrificing any of the pleasure of discovering a new place. Off-season travel encourages a more balanced distribution of travellers geographically and throughout the year, which benefits the tourist experience as well as the destinations themselves.
Eeyou Istchee Baie-James @ GouvQc Jean-François Bergeron_Enviro Foto
New, more sustainable and active travel
ARF-Québec publishes a directory of concrete examples of travel packages that incorporate sustainable practices. The trips vary in duration, regional destination, and theme. Many itineraries focus on active stays, like a trek north of the 56th parallel into the heart of Innu culture, a major hike through the Gaspésie and Appalaches regions against the backdrop of the majestic St. Lawrence River, or a bike trip on the famous Véloroute des Bleuets. These are all opportunities to reconnect with nature, and to travel more slowly and more actively.
Several packages that include shared transfers are available for small guided groups. This is a way to travel in which meeting people and sharing are as much a part of the experience as Québec’s magnificent landscapes.