Our Mission
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. The Network periodically calls on the expertise of recognized experts and contributors from various fields of tourism. In addition to producing and distributing analyses, the Network engages in other activities aimed at helping tourism-based firms with their decision-making:
• Talks and lectures
• Library and documentation services
• On-site strategic thinking sessions for businesses
• Intelligence gathering in various specific fields
Current intelligence gathering projects:
International cruises
As part of the “Strategy for the Sustainable Development and Promotion of International Cruises on the St. Lawrence River” launched by the Ministère du Tourisme, the Tourism Intelligence Network of the Transat Chair in Tourism, UQAM School of Business Administration, has been given the mandate to gather strategic intelligence on the international cruise industry. The goal of this project is to provide decision-makers with strategic content, particularly with regard to industry trends, the aims of the major cruise lines, future growth prospects, best practices, what our major competitors are doing and sustainable development initiatives. These topics of interest to the Ministère are at the heart of the international cruise industry’s development. The sector is evolving rapidly so it is essential that the Ministère and the primary Québec stakeholders involved have access to the latest information to facilitate decision making.
Resort travel and tourism
The Créneau d’excellence Tourisme de villégiature quatre saisons (tourism and four-season resorts niche of excellence) has asked the Network to gather intelligence for the Laurentians region. This partnership has created a service to gather, analyze and distribute strategic information on resort tourism. The documents created discuss resort products and topics (skiing, golf, spas, second homes, agritourism, rural tourism, etc.), clienteles, relevant statistics, innovations, marketing, sustainable development, the benchmarking of comparable destinations and other topics of interest.
Urban culture
Tourism Montréal and the Network have signed an agreement to promote the development of research and strategic intelligence gathering in the field of urban cultural tourism. This agreement is part of a memorandum of understanding between Tourism Montréal and the Québec Ministère de la Culture et des Communications to support the development of cultural tourism in Greater Montreal. The aim of this intelligence gathering project is to contribute content to Tourism Montréal’s newsletter, Cultur@; provide inspiration to the organization’s projects and policies; and to help Tourism Montréal reach its goals.