About us
The Tourism Intelligence Network is an organization devoted to strategic intelligence gathering in the field of tourism. It was launched on January 30, 2004, by the Transat Chair in Tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) School of Business Administration, with the financial support of Canada Economic Development– Quebec Regions and Tourisme Québec.
Our mission:
“To locate, gather, analyze and distribute value-added information to enhance the Quebec tourism industry’s competitiveness and help its decision-makers develop forward-looking strategies.”
The work of the Network’s staff researchers involves identifying the direct impact of any strategic information on Quebec tourism-based firms. The goal is to help local businesses find innovative ways to develop, manage and market their products and services.
Intelligence is gathered constantly and with a long-term perspective. Research findings are published as they are compiled, in the form of short reports distributed to Network subscribers in a bimonthly e-newsletter: the Globe-Veilleur.
Information is gathered from a variety of sources: databases, surveys, reports, specialized magazines, conferences, etc. In addition, the Network periodically calls on the expertise of recognized experts and contributors from various fields of tourism.
The Team
The Tourism Intelligence Network is run by a team of eight people:
Paul Arseneault,
Director, Tourism Intelligence Network
Michel Archambault,
Holder, Transat Chair in Tourism and Chairman, Tourism Intelligence Network
Analysts
- Claudine Barry
- Siham Jamaa
- Michèle Laliberté
- Audray Lemieux
- Maïthé Levasseur
- Chantal Neault
- Claude Péloquin
- Julianna Priskin
- Robert Aucoin
- Kate Germain
Élise Parent
Coordinator, Content Distribution
Paul Arseneault, Director
Paul Arseneault holds a B.A. in Business Administration and an M.A. in the same field from HEC-Montreal. Specialized in tourism research and consulting, Paul Arseneault has directed and contributed to some one hundred projects since entering the field in 1990.
His areas of interest are strategic planning and the development of tourist destinations and products. He has worked with private companies, tourism associations, regional associations and government departments. On many occasions, he has also been a lecturer, group leader and trainer.
Paul Arseneault’s career path has included work as a research professional for HEC-Montreal, UQAM’s Transat Chair in Tourism and the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP), as well as being president of Pensum Conseil and a senior partner of Groupe DBSF. Since 2001, he has been a lecturer in UQAM’s Department of Tourism and Urban Planning. At the Chair, he has been director of research for the Tourism Intelligence Network since its launch in 2004.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, ext. 2276
E-mail: arseneault.paul@uqam.ca
Michel Archambault, Holder, Transat Chair in Tourism and Chairman, Tourism Intelligence Network
Michel Archambault is a full professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) School of Business Administration. With a doctorate in Applied Economics, he has extensive experience in various fields of the economy, in both the public and private sectors.
A popular guest speaker at numerous national and international forums and conferences, he specializes in strategic management practices applied to tourism-based businesses. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the board of directors of Tourism Montréal (since 1995) and the Tourism Research Committee of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
A close observer of new trends affecting the development of the industry, Michel Archambault has initiated and directed the organization of various conferences and research projects designed to promote expertise and the sharing of ideas. Finally, he oversees and is a strong supporter of the Tourism Intelligence Network.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-7882
E-mail: archambault.michel@uqam.ca
Claudine Barry, Researcher
Having earned a B.A. in Urban Planning from the Université de Montréal, Claudine Barry then completed a B.A. in Tourism and Hotel Management at UQAM in May 2001. She joined the Chair in the fall of 2001 as part of an international work-study placement. Her research into tourism and entertainment continued after her initial placement and culminated in the publication of the background document for the conference “Tourism & Entertainment: A Star Couple for Attracting Visitors,” held in November 2002. Claudine Barry has subsequently played an active role in the Chair’s research on the economic spin-offs of the Route Verte, the Quebec tour boat industry, health tourism, golf tourism and camping, as well as working on developing educational tools.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, poste 1597
E-mail: barry.claudine@uqam.ca
Siham Jamaa, Researcher
Siham Jamaa joined the Tourism Intelligence Network team in June 2009, after working for more than ten years in investment banking in Quebec and abroad. Graduate of the MBA in International Tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal, she is passionate about tourism and has led several consulting projects. Siham’s interests are information technology, studies on tourism trends, best management practices and customer experience.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000 poste 1741
E-mail:jamaa.siham@uqam.ca
Michèle Laliberté, Researcher
With a B.A. in Tourism and Hotel Management, Michèle Laliberté has been active in the field of tourism since 2000. Through her work, she has developed a sound critical approach to applied tourism research. Her primary areas of expertise are travel issues and motivators, consumer behaviour, the airline industry and the hotel industry.
Michèle Laliberté joined the team at the Chair in the spring of 2000 after a 20-year career in information management. Her contributions include developing teaching materials, carrying out numerous research mandates, and writing background documents for conferences. She has also worked on several projects commissioned by the World Tourism Organisation.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, ext. 3427
E-mail: laliberte.m@uqam.ca
Claude Péloquin, Researcher
A researcher for the Tourism Intelligence Network, Claude Péloquin has worked with the network from the very beginning.
In his work for the Network, he focusses primarily on the distribution network, the online travel market, and outdoor tourism. An active member of the Chair in Tourism team since 1996, he has contributed to a number of research projects and case studies in the field of tourism.
His major projects have examined winter tourism, the tour boat industry, charter bus transportation, the distribution network, nature parks and aquariums, ecotourism, adventure travel, water sports and school breaks. Claude Péloquin holds two B.A.s: one in Tourism and Hotel Management and one in Business Administration (Finance).
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, ext. 0225
E-mail: peloquin.claude@uqam.ca
Maïthé Levasseur, Researcher
Maïthé Levasseur has worked in the field of tourism since 2000, as a consultant for Groupe DBSF and for various associations. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management, she has helped a variety of Quebec tourism-based businesses carry out planning exercises for product development, marketing and organizational restructuring. Maïthé Levasseur recently worked on developing overseas tourism projects, notably in China and Africa.
Her experience and interests have led her to specialize in tourism development, market and client research, urban tourism and associations.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, ext. 2278
E-mail: levasseur.maithe@uqam.ca
Audray Lemieux, Researcher
After working for three years in the private sector, Audray Lemieux joined the Chair team in January 2007. Her responsibilities ranged from business management to event organization, communications, public relations as well as collaborating on certain consulting projects, for instance, with the event and convention industry. Since February 2009, she is also responsible for the interior and international cruise watch at the Tourism Intelligence Network. Bachelor of Tourism and Hotel Management graduate from l’UQAM, Audray also completed a Graduate Certificate in Treasury-Finance at McGill University.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, ext. 4264
E-mail: lemieux.audray@uqam.ca
Julianna Priskin, Researcher
Julianna Priskin is an associate professor at UQAM, a researcher at the Transat Chair in Tourism, School of Management, UQÀM and an expert of the Tourism Intelligence Network since 2004. She works in applied tourism research since 1997, most notably with public sector agencies.
Her work covers various aspects of sustainable and ecotourism, including policy, planning and regional development. She also has a special interest in the environmental aspects of tourism and recreation, national parks and the understanding of the visitor experience in heritage places. She has written numerous reports and articles on these topics in various publications.
Julianna Priskin obtained her Bachelor degree in Environmental Science with Honours in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Geography in 2004 from the University of Western Australia, Perth.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, ext. 6670
E-mail: priskin.julianna@uqam.ca
Chantal Neault, Researcher
Chantal Neault has worked in the tourism industry for 20 years, primarily in the fields of strategic planning and marketing.
Early in her career as a research officer for the Quebec Ministry of Tourism, she was in charge of strategic planning for the following tourism sectors: hospitality, training and customer service. In addition, she co-ordinated the creation, implementation and maintenance of a marketing information system at the Ministry.
She has worked on several strategic studies for the Transat Chair in Tourism, covering various tourism-related sectors: cruises and tours, charter bus transportation, winter tourism, water sports and consultation mechanisms.
Chantal Neault holds a B.A. in Tourism Management and Development from UQAM with a specialization in marketing.
In addition to fulfilling the roles of editorial webmaster and webmaster, she sends information to the Network’s subscribers and is in charge of the bibliographic reference service.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000, ext. 2486
E-mail: neault.chantal@uqam.ca
Kate Germain, Researcher
Holder of a B.A. in Tourism and Hotel Management, Kate Germain has acquired research experience in several areas of recreational tourism (e.g., skiing, golf, biking) through her contributions to projects undertaken by the Chair. She has developed expertise in managing surveys of tourism industry decision-makers. Since 2009, Kate also works as a researcher for the Tourism Intelligence Network, her area of interest is nature-based tourism.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000 poste 1597
E-mail: germain.kate@uqam.ca
Élise Parent, Coordinator, Content Distribution
A graduate of UQAM’s Tourism and Hotel Management bachelor’s program, Élise has held various coordinator positions in the field of tourism, notably in event organization and the distribution sector. In May 2007, she joined the Chair as Coordinator of the Gueuletons Touristiques. In October 2009, she was named Coordinator, Content Distribution, for the Tourism Intelligence Network. Her duties include implementing content distribution and communication strategies, developing tools to facilitate business processes and helping to coordinate the various activities of the Chair and the Tourism Intelligence Network.
Contact information:
Telephone: (514) 987-3000 poste 2487
E-mail: parent.elise@uqam.ca
