The Îles de la Madeleine Regional Tourism Cluster, in cooperation with the ÉCONOMUSÉE® Society Network, has initiated a pilot project to assist a group of businesses from the Îles de la Madeleine wishing to develop new tourism experiences.

Recognizing the tourists' increased interest regarding their desire to experiment and live a rewarding tourism experience, both partners - in cooperation with the Service aux entreprises of Groupe Collegia - have developed a program tailored to the needs of the targeted enterprises' directors that aims, among others, to:

• Set the limits of experiential tourism in arts and crafts and food processing businesses;
• Allow the businesses to define an experiential tourism project; and
• Plan the resources (either material, financial, human, etc.) required for the launching of a new experiential tourism offer.

There are six businesses invested in this collaborative approach:

• C.A.M.I.'s Historical Heritage Complex
• Fromagerie du Pied-de-Vent - Cheese making ÉCONOMUSÉE®
• Limaçon
• La Maison du potier (Pottery studio)
• Le Musée de la mer (Museum of the Sea)
• La Méduse Glass studio

Based on the diagnosis issued after the meeting with the enterprises' directors, they took part in a 2-day training session on experiential tourism. The planning included: the definition of experiential tourism, some examples of application, the suitability of management tools facilitating both the planning and launching of those new activities, and a reflection on the perspectives of a tourism offer tailored to each business.

Furthermore, the participants had the chance to discuss with Ms. Caroline Couret, director of the Creative Tourism Network. Through a videoconference, she exposed real cases of destinations that rely on this type of tourism, the creative tourist portrait and the numerous benefits of creative tourism.

During the upcoming months, the businesses involved will pursue the initiative, and they will be supported by individual coaching and networking sessions.

The pilot project is made possible thanks to the financial participation of the ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et des Exportations, Emploi-Québec and the ÉCONOMUSÉE® Society Network.

The financial support provided by the ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et des Exportations du Québec is part of the Programme d'appui au développement des secteurs stratégiques et des créneaux d'excellence (program for the development of strategic sectors and clusters of excellence). The purpose of this program is to mobilise and unify the actions of businesses and of their economic partners within the Ministry toward common objectives that support the development of strategic sectors and clusters of excellence.

Sources:

Jason Bent
Tourism Cluster Director
Recreational Tourism Cluster
418 986-2245, extension 228
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Carl-Éric Guertin
Director
ÉCONOMUSÉE® Society Network
418-694-4466, extension 25
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