Harbour swimming

Since 2002, following major investments to clean up the water, it has been possible to swim in Copenhagen Harbour, the former site of significant industrial activity. An area of the city’s waterfront has been completely transformed and its new uses now include swimming and boating. Wooden boardwalks outline the swimming areas and a boat-shaped structure is used as a diving platform. The facilities are very popular during the summer months.

Source: R&R Associates

Breathtaking experiences

Have you ever wanted to climb up a rollercoaster…on foot? A sculpture built in the city of Duisberg, Germany, lets visitors do just that. Eleven metres high, this walkway offers visitors a unique view of the surrounding area. Located on a knoll atop an old zinc production site, the work of art is composed of steel and zinc.

Source: Inhabitat

For the past several years, visitors have been able to explore the city of Stockholm from the rooftops. Participants in this very special guided tour must don a harness and pull a safety cable along with them as they stroll above the city and take in the fabulous views while listening to commentary from a guide. Talk about a unique memorable experience!

Source: Visit Stockholm

Also in Stockholm, sightseers can ride two spherical glass gondolas to the top of the Ericsson Globe, the city’s major indoor sports and entertainment facility. In operation since 2010, SkyView offers an incredible birds-eye view of the city, a little like the funicular on the Olympic Stadium Tower in Montreal.

Source: Visit Stockholm

Urban camping

In the heart of Brooklyn, New York, the site of an old airport is set to become the largest urban campground in the United States. The National Park Service is planning to create approximately 600 campsites, making this location the ultimate in urban camping.

To satisfy the desire for outdoor urban experiences and, more importantly, offer something out of the ordinary, some hotels are inviting their guests to sleep in a tent. At Affinia Gardens in Manhattan, people staying in suites can sleep in a tent on their terrace and enjoy a s’mores-making kit (marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers). Many visitors think that camping out in the heart of downtown New York City seems like fun.

Source: USA Today Travel

A different way to discover art and history

The Arenc Grain Silo in the French port of Marseille, listed as a 20th-century heritage building, has been turned into a concert hall. While retaining the building’s original façade of half-cylinders, the renovation opened them up with large windows. The ultra-modern theatre can seat 2,000 spectators. Built in 1926, the colossal structure was saved from demolition in 1996 and protected by a heritage rating. Nicknamed the “Olympia sur mer” in reference to Paris’ famous music hall, the theatre opened in September 2011.

Source: Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et TreeHugger

In downtown Rouen, France, a fake radar device signals pedestrians to slow down so they can appreciate the city’s urban heritage. Entitled “zone 3,” this amusing project was developed by an artist as part of the contemporary art festival, “Rouen impressionnée.” When people walk faster than 3 km/hour, the “radar” flashes to indicate that they are moving too quickly. The humorous installation is accompanied by an explanatory sign.

© AFP   Source: Cyberpresse

The idea of surprising people in their daily travels has also been taken up by another art festival. As part of Chicago’s Art on Track festival, artists invade the subway with their creations. One Saturday, a train car wound its way through the city disguised as a mobile garden, with its floor and seats covered with a thick layer of grass that invited passengers to take a seat.

Source: Inhabitat

Calling all creative cities!

The cities of Quebec are also engaged in urban creativity. Competition among destinations is fierce and the world is becoming increasingly urbanized. To make our cities stimulating places to live and attractive destinations to visit, we must encourage artists, designers, architects and other creative thinkers to contribute to their growth and development (See: La créativite au service du développement urbain compte rendu de conférence).

Sources

- Agence France-Presse. «Un radar pour inviter les piétons à ralentir…», cyberpresse.ca, november 15, 2011.

- Glow, Justin. «Floating Swimming Pool Spotted in Germany», www.gadling.com, july 17, 2007.

- Guyennon, Patrick. «Marseille: un ancien silo à grains transformé en salle de spectacle», Urbanews.fr, september 22, 2011.

- Gwiazdzinski, Luc. «Ephemeral, Festive and Event-orientedCities», présenté à l’occasion de la table ronde intitulée New Times, New UrbanTourism Destinations du séminaire Urbantourism, heritage and urbanquality in Europe à Rennes, march 2009.

- Hattam, Jennifer. «Huge New Urban Campground Planned for Brooklyn», www.treehugger.com, june 15, 2011.

- Jones, Charisse. «Hotels offer visitors a chance to snooze under the moonlight», USA TODAY, agust 1st, 2011.

- Morgan, Helen. «Germany’s Roller Coaster Walkway Thrills Visitors with Views to The Surrounding Landscape», inhabitat.com,  november 20, 2011.

- Trendwatching.com. «CityLights», Trend Report 2012, november, 2011.

- Zimmer, Lori. «Chicago Subway Train Transformed Into Lush Mobile Garden on Wheels!», inhabitat.com, september 19, 2011.

Websites

• Badeschiff

• Skyview

• Stockhlom Roof Top Hiking

• World Urbanisation Prospects:

Sports and outdoor activities

Resorts now propose numerous alternatives to traditional downhill skiing. Valfréjus, a resort in the Savoie region of the French Alps, offers courses in speed riding, an activity that combines skiing and paragliding. Equipped with a type of small paragliding sail, skiers can jump and fly several metres above the snowy slope.

Source: Ataka Speedriding

The Smugglers’ Notch ski resort in Vermont offers airboarding to thrill seekers. Wearing a helmet and lying flat on their stomachs on an inflated sled, airboarders must learn to use their body weight to steer headfirst down the slope. In fact, a short instructional clinic is mandatory for first timers. The practice of this sport is outlawed in many resorts, because of the risk of collision with skiers and snowboarders. Other resorts allow it only in specially marked areas.

Airboarding. Source:  Smugglers Notch Vermont

Snowscooting is another sport that is becoming more popular in Quebec ski areas. Similar to a snow bike without a seat, a snowscoot is a two-piece snowboard, held together with a frame. Snowscooters use the handle bars to steer down the hill.

Snowscooting. Source: Canoë

 Although better known in Europe, ski joring, which combines skiing and horseback riding, is also practised in Quebec, notably at the Ferme L’Auteuilloise in Laval. Skiers, wearing downhill boots and skis, are pulled by a horse in this form of “equestrian skiing.”

 Ski joring. Source: Le Grand Club

In Switzerland, the floodlit Preda-Bergün toboggan run is a winding six-kilometre toboggan run connecting the villages of Preda and Bergün. Tobogganers take the train to reach the top of the run.

Source: MySwitzerland.com

Taxi skiing (sometimes called adapted or seated skiing) enables non-skiers and those with reduced mobility, such as those who used to ski but no longer can, to hit the slopes and enjoy the alpine scenery while comfortably seated in a ski-chair guided from behind by an instructor. Taxi skiing is offered at Mont Blanc in the Savoie region of France. The short video below illustrates the concept in action.

Events and locales celebrating winter

Innovative urban events such as Igloofest, the Montreal High Lights Festival and the many activities organized by the Québec Winter Carnival help create a festive atmosphere that gives winter destinations a competitive advantage.

Some orchards invite visitors to pick apples in the winter, for the production of ice cider, making it into a family-oriented activity a little like the U-pick system popular in the fall. For example, for a few weekends in January, the Vergers Lafrance in the Lower Laurentian town of Saint-Joseph-du-Lac offer cross-country ski trails, toboggan runs and special activities to members of the public who help harvest the apples.

In Switzerland, the Portes du Soleil ski area, which includes 12 different resorts, will host the second edition of the Festival des concerts sauvages, which has been renamed the Rock the Pistes Festival. During this event, French pop singers perform on temporary stages built right on the ski slopes. The exact time and location of these free shows are texted to festival-goers, the day before.

Source: Freeride Co

Christmas fairs have gradually become a tradition and a major event for many Quebec municipalities. They showcase regional products, provide a boost to the surrounding area, and create an enchanting ambiance that attracts locals as well as tourists.

Source: Marché de Noël et des traditions de Longueuil

Any discussion of winter in Quebec must, of course, include Quebec City’s Ice Hotel, which is rebuilt every year and is always very popular. This year, Montreal is following suit with an ambitious plan for a Snow Village on Ile Sainte-Hélène. In addition to an ice hotel, the village will feature an ice chapel, heated glass igloo, meeting rooms and a restaurant.

Adjusting prices along with the temperature

Some businesses are making winter weather conditions part of their marketing strategy. For example, the Mt. Bachelor ski resort in Oregon has implemented a sliding price scale that varies according to precipitation, wind, visibility, temperature and number of lifts in service. A non-holiday lift ticket ranges in price from $53 to $73, depending on the weather forecast. The price is set the day before and then posted on the resort’s Website and in social media.

Take advantage of winter

A Quebec winter lasts four to six months, more than 200 cm of snow falls, and average January temperatures often dip below -10°C. We can either suffer the consequences, hibernating until the return of warm weather, or we can tackle it head on, promoting winter culture and making it a powerful brand of our tourism industry.

Sources:

- Bissonnet, Jacques et Francine Plourde. «Montréal aura son hôtel de glace», Radio-Canada.ca, 27 septembre 2011.

- Demers, Alain. «Initiation au snowscoot à Sutton», Canoe.ca, 15 février 2011.

- Folie-Boivin, Émilie. «Un jardin de givre», Le Devoir.com, 8 janvier 2010.

- Laflamme, Isabelle. «Plus c’est froid, moins c’est cher», Canoe.com, 10 janvier 2011.

Websites:

- Ataka Speedriding

- Rock the Pistes festival

- Hôtel de Glace

- La Ferme L’Auteuilloise

- The Atlas of Canada

- Les vergers Lafrance

- Marché de Noël et des traditions de Longueuil

- Mt. Bachelor

- MySwitzerland.com

- Savoie Mont Blanc

- Smugglers’ Notch

A bold design, (literally) anchored in the community

Installed in a former ferryboat, Bota Bota is moored at the Quays of the Old Port of Montréal; this floating spa offers a unique experience of well-being in an environment that is both urban and maritime. Sid Lee Architecture won a Design gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for this new attraction in Old Montreal.

Source: Bota Bota

The Stonewater Cove luxury resort in the heart of Mark Twain National Forest welcomes clients to its Treehouse Spa. The individual elevated treatment rooms feature nearly a full window wall and offer relaxation and massage in harmony with nature.

Source: Discover Spas

Increasingly health-oriented

Many spas have moved more towards health and wellness, and the trend is likely to continue. According to Amy McDonald , a spa development consultant, a growing number of clients are seeking healthy lifestyles and looking for something more spiritually oriented.

Among the establishments offering more advanced health care is Sanctuary Spa in Arizona, which recently gave all of its therapists special training so they could provide therapeutic massages to cancer patients. In addition, the London Syon Park spa in the Waldorf Astoria has joined forces with a plastic surgeon to develop advanced non-surgical rejuvenating treatments.

Though such products do not usually appeal to the majority of spa clients, they do help the establishment stand out from its competitors, which can be very profitable.

Pioneers in environmental practices

If an establishment is going to be a true oasis of well-being, to be credible, it must adopt environmentally-friendly practices. Many spas follow this guideline and some stand out with their innovations. Located in a UNESCO reserve in Malaysia, The Andaman resort only uses 100% certified organic products and treatments in its spa. The primary challenge of using green treatments is their effectiveness; it is therefore important to take the time to test them properly.

Architecture can also be a part of how a spa innovates when it comes to the environment. For example, the Spa Mont Saint-Hilaire in Montérégie uses a geothermal heating and cooling system. A spa’s outdoor heated pools consume a great deal of energy, particularly during the winter. Green and renewable, geothermal power enables the Spa Mont Saint-Hilaire to meet nearly all of its energy needs: heat and cool a 7,500 sq. ft. building, melt the snow on its paths and maintain the temperature of its pools. Although this technology requires considerable start-up costs, it then provides substantial savings on energy costs.

On par with a tourist destination

Located in a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the Spreewald Therme (Spree Forest Thermal Bath) in Germany is a health resort that uses mineral water from more than 1,300 metres below the ground, composed of salts and minerals similar to those found in the Dead Sea. Since the discovery of this hot spring, the destination has quickly attracted more visitors who go to the new spas, hotels and resorts that have sprung up to offer body treatments. A theme-based itinerary called the kurortroute (spa route, in English) and a bike path wind through the community. A top attraction for the region, the Spreewald Therme is a certified spa destination with a modern complex of nine pools fed by spring water. With temperatures that vary between 18°C and 38°C, these pools cover 772 m2.

Source: The New York Times

China, which is a booming tourist destination, is developing a hot spring resort, the Liaoning Wulong International Hot Spring Town. The overall cost of the project is estimated at US$1.5 billion . The developers hope it will become another international hot spring destination like Evian in France.

Historic charm and ancient traditions

The city of Bath in the United Kingdom has been associated with hydrotherapy since the Roman Empire and was also very popular during the Georgian era. The English Heritage organization recently confirmed a grant that will help create one of the country’s first genuine spa hotels in over 100 years in the city of Buxton . This development will enable the city to restore a gem of architectural and cultural heritage. Also in the UK, a luxury spa has opened in Ellenborough Park, a 16th-century estate in the Cotswolds region.

Spas inspired by ancient cultures are very popular. The last decade has seen a proliferation of Asian-influenced establishments in the Zen style. Now spas are inspired by Native American traditions, offering rituals based on ancient remedies and treatments tied to the earth. In the Marriott hotels of Dubai and Qatar, Saray spas offer a journey through the history and culture of the Middle East. In Quebec, the Auberge du Lac-Taureau offers a Native American spa package.

Alternative treatments and high luxury

A spa in Madrid, CosquilleArte, has developed the art of tickling. Rather than titillating guests or making them laugh, this gentle treatment engages the body and the mind.

Aromatherapy is also an innovative trend. The NoMi Spa at the Park Hyatt Chicago offers a complete sensory experience, during which specialists create a personalized mixture of essential oils that are integrated into every step of the treatment.

As for the height of luxury, the new Six Senses Spa at Hotel Missoni Kuwait offers a variety of treatments and activities in a sumptuous décor.

Source: Luxe Magazine

The spa industry has long defined itself as part of a healthy lifestyle rather than a frivolous indulgence, and now it is focussing on authenticity, prevention and design.

Sources:

- Bagel Storck, Ann. “Next-Generation Spas,” Hotels, June 2011.

- Bradley, Kimberly. “Hot Water Below Brings Pleasures Above in Germany,” The New York Times, August 26, 2010.

- Discover Spas. “New Spa Treehouses to Premier at Stonewater Cove Resort on the Shores of Beautiful Table Rock Lake Memorial Day Weekend,” February 3, 2011.

- Gayot.com. “The Current Spa & Salon – Native American Rituals in Washington State”, June 2010.

- Gayot.com. “CosquilleArte, the World’s First Tickle Spa, Debuts in Madrid”, July 2011.

- HMM Editorial Staff. “Top Ten luxury spa openings in 2011”, Hospitality World Network, August 10, 2011.

- Lafrance, Annie. “Des spas urbains dépaysants à Montréal,” Le Soleil, July 28, 2011.

- Luxe-Magazine.com. “Six Senses Spa opens at Hotel Missoni Kuwait”, May 2011.

- Perreault-Labelle, Anick. “La géothermie est aussi rentable pour les petits projets,” Les Affaires, April 23, 2011.

- Spa Opportunities. “English Heritage grant for Buxton spa hotel”, July 8, 2011.

- Spa Opportunities. “Spa opens at historic estate”, June 15, 2011.

- Tendance Hôtellerie, “Projet de plus d’un milliard d’euros en Chine pour concurrencer les plus grandes références du thermalisme”, August 17, 2011.

- Turenne, M. “Sid Lee : La créativité absolue fait recette,” Les Affaires, July 9, 2011.

With an eye to financial and environmental concerns, tourism providers are vying with one another to develop inventive products and services to meet an increasingly diverse demand. This article discusses some of the trends and best practices adopted by mountain resorts as they redefine themselves.

A broad range of recreational activities

Summer activities are more and more popular with mountain resort clients. (Please see: La tentation quatre-saisons des stations de ski). One-quarter of the resorts surveyed by SAM reported that summer operations accounted for at least 20% of their annual revenue. Mountain biking is currently the most popular summer attraction on offer (61%) (see: Le vélo de montagne représente-t-il un potentiel touristique sous-exploité?), after business meetings (64%) and weddings (81%).

In the next two years, the resorts surveyed plan to focus more on family-oriented activities rather than traditional activities like tennis and golf (see Figure 1). A little less than half of the destinations surveyed are planning to add ziplines (42%), and nearly one-quarter plan to build alpine coasters (23%) or a ropes course (22%).

Climbing walls and bungee jumping are becoming more popular, as are skate parks, water parks and mini golf. In fact, the Massif du Sud area in the Chaudière-Appalaches region now calls itself a “four-season adventure sports outfitter.”

 New customer segments

Many resorts rent out their facilities for business and festive events. The Banff Centre, located in the heart of Banff National Park, now courts the meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) market. Some resorts, like Crystal Mountain in the northwest United States and Mont Sainte-Anne in Québec, actively target the destination wedding segment during the summer and rent out the facilities located on their summits.

Source: Crystalmountainresort.com

Package deals: An ideal solution

Increasingly, resorts are turning to package deals. Packages help make a destination attractive to new visitors, increase business during the off season and draw regional clientele who are interested in shorter stays. In addition, packages fulfil the varied needs of multi-generational travellers and non-skiers.

Relaxing getaways

Spas have become synonymous with the mountain resort experience. Health and wellness are now part of resort marketing and can even provide the raison d’être for a get-together, such as this year’s Wanderlust yoga festival held at Squaw Valley USA, California.

Source: First Track

Some resorts are improving their culinary offerings, sourcing food from a variety of providers and focussing on regional products. Last winter, the Samoëns ski resort in the French Alps organized its first Winemakers’ Week. Winemakers from various regions in France set up kiosks and presented workshops to introduce tourists to their wines. In Québec, Mont Saint-Sauveur recently began a major renovation of its bar and restaurant to offer patrons a wide variety of healthy foods and ensure that the bistro is the area’s trendiest restaurant.

Online marketing, mobile apps and new technology

Web marketing is now one of the most vital promotional channels available and some resorts are using it to great advantage. Wild Mountain in Minnesota posted a deal on LivingSocial, a group purchasing site, offering a discount package of lift tickets and equipment rental. The goal was to attract a new clientele of novice skiers.

Source: Livingsocial

Snowbird in Utah, one of the first resorts to develop its own app, has implemented a social media strategy by including a community page on its site where visitors can share content.

Source: SnowBird

Brighton Resort in Utah has installed two automatic cameras on one run to photograph skiers and snowboarders, who can then download their performances on the resort’s Facebook page.

Vail Resorts has created EpicMix, an application for either mobile or online use that enables clients of its five ski resorts to share their stats on their social networks. The information provided is extensive and includes rate of descent, skier and snowboarder ranking, weather and real-time location of contacts. Last winter, 100,000 people activated an EpicMix account and 40% downloaded the mobile app.

Source: Epicmix

New technology has also had an enormous impact on resort operations. At the beginning of the 2011-2012 winter season, Mont Saint-Sauveur and Mont Avila will be installing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system on their lifts to detect skiers’ cards so they don’t have to show them, just like the system already in place at Le Massif in Charlevoix.

A wide variety of lodging options

A great number of privately owned mountain resort rentals are available online. In Québec and British Columbia, such properties represent approximately 60% of the ads listed on HomeAway. These rentals help increase a destination’s potential customer base and many resort managers feel this type of accommodation complements rental condos and hotel rooms.

However, such rentals have not slowed the real estate developments of groups like Intrawest, Boyne Resorts, Aspen Skiing and Vail Resort. Furthermore, many people are buying second homes located at the base of ski mountains. Finally, resorts are also developing new projects. At Le Massif in Charlevoix, the La Ferme hotel complex will open for business in the spring of 2012, and Mont Sainte-Anne is planning to build a new four-season resort in the next few years.

Source: Le Massif de Charlevoix

Sustainable development as a key element of restructuring

The Whistler resort community has developed a long-term plan, entitled Whistler 2020. It defines various priorities and strategies for achieving the sustainable development of the resort and uses indicators to monitor its progress on its Website.

Source: Whistler 2020

The Quebec Golf Course Owners Association (ATGQ) launched a sustainable development initiative this summer with the creation of the ParTROIS program. This measure helps golf clubs take steps towards eco-sustainable certification.

The National Ski Areas Association in the United States recently added a new component to Sustainable Slopes, its environmental charter for ski areas. Called the Climate Challenge, this friendly competition aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With the help of experts, the employees of the eight resorts participating in the voluntary program took action to fight climate change.

Clientele looking for new experiences, threats of global warming, technological advances and the popularity of social media: the industry does not lack for challenges. However, it is these very issues that have led ski resorts to develop innovative ways of maintaining their attractiveness, and the recent projects launched in Québec hold the promise of a bright future for mountain destinations.

Sources:

- Bast, Morgan. “EpicMix gets nearly 100,000 activations in first season”, buzz.snow.com, April 22, 2011.

- Bergeron, Patricia. «Réaménagement à la base de la montagne- Mont Saint Sauveur se peaufine», carnetduski.com, 13 juillet 2011.

- Kahl, Rick. “Condos on the Cheap,” Ski Area Management, Vol. 50, No. 2, March 2011, p. 54.

- Morrison, Alastair M. “International Trends in Mountain Tourism, Marketing and Development,” Belle Tourism Consulting, 2010.

- Rufo, Samantha, Ken Castle, and Katie Bailey. “Best/Worst Marketing 2010-2011,” Ski Area Management, Vol. 50, No. 3, May 2011, p. 41-45.

- Ski Area Management. “Sustainable Slopes Report Highlights Resorts’ Green Efforts” saminfo.com, July 8, 2011.

- Ski Area Management. “Summer in the Mountains,” Vol. 50, No. 3, May 2011, p. 46-47.

- Urban Land Institute. “Ten Resorts Trends”, www.uli.org, consulted July 13, 2011.

- Watson, Tom. “Brighton offers freestylers an ancillary stoke,” National Ski Areas Association, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2011.

- Wine Tourism in France. “L’oenotourisme, nouveau sport d’hiver”, winetourisminfrance.com, December 29, 2010.

- World Tourism Organization. “UNWTO congress to debate the future of snow and mountain tourism” www2.unwto.org, March 31, 2011.

See also:

Les activités hors saison pour les centres de villégiature: tendances et nouveautés

La tentation quatre-saisons des stations de ski

Taxi drivers interact with many tourists on a daily basis and sometimes even constitute the first human contact a visitor has on arriving at his or her destination. This realization of the importance of their role has brought significant change to the global tourism industry. Whether on land or water, the mission of so-called “tourist taxis” sometimes goes beyond merely transporting their clients from point A to point B to focus on the overall visitor experience.

Québec taxis: a highly-regulated industry

In Québec, the number of taxi owner permits is restricted. According to the Montreal Economic Institute, in 2010 there were 84 taxis in Sherbrooke, 629 in Québec City and 4,445 on the island of Montreal. When they have a fare, drivers may not travel outside the zone for which they have a permit. These regulations are designed to protect the consumer and ensure quality service.

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport is the taxis’ most coveted client. To avoid disputes, it was decided in 2009 that a draw would be held for the right to purchase the 297 permits for this destination. The greater profit from trips and high volume of business and tourist clientele explain the popularity of this location.

A different kind of taxi service

Tourist taxis are different from other types of taxis in that they focus on the visitors’ experience and helping them discover a given destination. Often, the drivers will either have some relevant training or work closely with the destination’s Tourism Board. These companies usually offer a range of tours, as well as some customized ones.

In Québec City, for example, TaxiCoop Québec offers six tours of the city ranging in length from two to six hours.

1. Québec City, its life and history
2. Montmorency Falls and Orléans Island
3. Québec City and Montmorency Falls tour
4. Religious sites and surrounding area of Québec City
5. Québec City adventure tour
6. Québec City, its life and history (includes a cruise)

These tours, which can also be customized, are conducted by drivers who are certified as tourist guides by Merici College. The hourly rate for a group of 4 people is $65.

There are several reasons to use a tourist taxi, such as:

• Flight layovers often take up precious travelling time. Rather than spending tedious hours at an airport, some travellers would rather use that time to see as many sights as possible without necessarily renting a car. The solution? Hire a taxi. In Singapore, Taxi Tourist Guides are targeting those travelers, offering their captive clientele guided city tours that leave from Changi Airport and last a minimum of three hours. These guides have been certified by the Tourism Board and the Singapore Taxi Academy. The three-month long theoretical and practical training teaches drivers the main tourist attractions, some history, guiding techniques and client relations.

• Driving a car when on a wine tasting tour is problematic and possibly dangerous. Several French Tourism Boards have recruited taxi companies in order to resolve this problem. In the Bordeaux region, for instance, visitors can take a guided taxi tour of the region’s great wineries.

Boat taxis

In many cities, bodies of water have at least some impact on transportation. This fact has inspired some communities to provide water-based transportation. Water taxis bring visitors to otherwise inaccessible locations, enable them to avoid long detours and offer a pleasant boating experience. They can be found in a few major cities around the world as well as in some nature parks. We have provided three examples:

• Rowes Wharf Water Transport, a Boston company that operates a water taxi service, offers transportation to many of the city’s major attractions and has exclusive rights to a few destinations, such as the New England Aquarium and Logan International Airport.

Source : Rowes Wharf Water Transport

• At New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park, water taxis play an important role in getting people around. Since the park has no roads, visitors travel along the coastline either on foot or by kayak. A water taxi is an excellent alternative for exploring the shores, visiting seal colonies on neighbouring islands and making sure the travelers get back to dry land.

Source: Marahau Water Taxi

• For the past five years, Québec’s own Excursions Maritimes has been providing a water taxi service in the capital region for visitors and residents alike. The company offers a number of different tours and packages from predetermined boarding points such the Quai des cageux on Champlain Boulevard, the Port de Québec Marina and île d’Orléans.

Source: Excursions Maritimes Québec

The company also offers more customized services. For example, passengers can ask to be dropped off at a certain point in the tour and be picked up at the same place a few hours later. In order to offer a wider range of services, the company has developed partnerships with other players in the local tourism industry.

The importance of quality service and innovation

The value of tourist taxis is based on the training of driver-guides, the flexibility and relevance of the services they offer, and how those services mesh with the existing tourism product. Although the taxi industry is highly regulated in Québec, whether they operate in the city or in outlying areas, taxi owner permit holders are free to implement this innovative business model.

Sources:

- Conseil canadien des ressources humaines en tourisme. «Normes de compétence nationales».

- Institut économique de Montréal. «Industrie du taxi: en route vers une réforme», août 2010.

Websites:

- Excursions Maritimes Québec

- Bordeaux Tourism Board

- Abel Tasman National Park

- Rowes Wharf Water Transport

- Singapore Taxi Academy

- TaxiCoop Québec

- City on the Move

Nonetheless, golf remains an important activity across Québec’s 362 golf clubs, while worldwide an estimated 25,000 golf courses cater to some 50 million players. Internationally, various organizations and initiatives exist to reduce golf’s environmental impact, but one of the most popular remains the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. In 2009, 783 golf courses were certified by this program worldwide, including 82 in Canada and 11 in Québec.²

Golf courses that have implemented initiatives to reduce their environmental impact can be recognized by a variety of actions, including:

• decreased water use
• improved irrigation systems and water application
• water quality monitoring
• reduced or eliminated pesticide use
• increased natural organic fertilizer use
• improved spill containment for pesticide mixing and loading areas
• decreased managed turf grass area to increase wildlife habitat
• landscaping with native plants to increase wildlife habitats
• removed exotic invasive plants
• vegetation planted in and around waterways
• installed of contained equipment in wash-off area.

Where such environmental actions have been implemented, golf course managers have generally also reported a positive business value or cost savings, according to Audubon International assessments.³

Situation in Québec

Currently, there is no information that systematically documents environmental improvements implemented by Québec golf courses. However, numerous golf courses are actively working towards reducing their negative environmental impact, while several are also in process of certification by Audubon International. The most prevalent positive environmental action presently in Québec remains the reduction of pesticide use, owing to legislation implemented back in 2003 by the Provincial Government.⁴ According to baseline assessments for the period 2003-2005, Québec’s golf sector used 39,382 kg of active ingredients per year (according to sales figures) and 75.9%, or 29,885 kg, in the form of fungicides.⁵ In comparison with total pesticide use in the Province, pesticide use by golf represented about 1.1% of the total. The continuous reductions in pesticide use remains important to maintain watershed ecosystem health, but especially since their application by golf courses in Québec occurs almost entirely on permeable soils.

Since 2003, the Québec Pesticides Management Code and its associated regulations require all Québec golf courses to submit a pesticide reduction plan prepared by a certified agronomist to the ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs every three years.⁴ For the period 2006-2009, the objective was to achieve average reductions of 12.9% in the use of fungicides, 9.4% in herbicides, 8.2% in insecticides, 7.4% in rodenticides and 2.8% in growth regulators. The results are currently being analyzed and the objectives for the next three years will be revised in 2010.

Though golf courses in Québec have taken numerous other actions to improve their environmental management, the overall impact of these is not documented, with the exception of the Laurentides, where water use is monitored by public sector organizations. A few golf courses have also installed industrial equipment to filter, treat and reuse wastewater. However, such initiatives are limited to only a few places, since they cost up to CAD 200,000. Elsewhere, golf courses have exchanged their carts for electric versions, implemented recycling programs, and use recyclable or biodegradable balls and tees. Increasingly, some golf courses supply their restaurants with local and regional foods, as in the case of the Rawdon Golf Club, which also received Le Phénix de l’environnement Award in 2009 for having implemented a variety of initiatives to improve its environmental management.⁶

While there aren’t clearly any 100% eco-friendly golf courses, work is under way to improve management at some places. There is currently a move in Québec to implement a variety of voluntary initiatives in 2010. For example, the Association des terrains de golf du Québec is drafting a sustainable development policy and green program, which will address comprehensive environmental management requirements covering a range of issues, including waste and water management (composting, recycling), hazardous substance use, vegetation around waterways and others. A number of other organizations, such as the Coalition for Responsible Golf, are also working to help golf courses improve their environmental management practices in Québec.

What about green golfers?

Few studies have assessed golfers’ attitudes towards the environment, and none have been reported from Québec. However, in 2008, Golf Digest published a survey that illustrated how perceptions of 650 avid golfers compared with the general American population regarding golf and its relationship with the environment.⁷ According to this study, golfers were typically male, affluent and older than the general population surveyed and some similarities and differences were noted amongst the two groups concerning environmental attitudes. For example, both groups appeared environmentally conscious and participated in activities like recycling and agreed that government regulation is a necessary approach for addressing environmental issues. However, while golfers also appeared to support the idea that golf is an environmentally friendly/compatible sport, they were less likely than the general population to participate in initiatives such as carpooling. Figure 1 summarizes some of the attitudes towards specific impacts linked to water and pesticide use, which suggests that fewer golfers believe the game’s water and pesticide use has a negative impact on the environment than the general population. The Golf Digest study ⁷ also suggests that, while golfers agree with the need to improve the environmental management of golf courses, such improvement does not necessarily represent a big plus for increased participation in the game.

Some golf courses are also focussing on player education to raise environmental awareness and several try to get players involved by having them volunteer to carry out restoration and environmental works, while others encourage the provision of financial support towards environment initiatives.

Golf clearly has the potential to be more environmentally responsible and the numerous initiatives in place by some golf courses currently leave no room for inaction by the great majority.

Source

(1) Wheeler, K. & Nauright, J. (2006). A green game?: A Global Perspective on the Environmental Impact of Golf. Sport in Society, 9(3) 427-443.

(2) Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses

(3) Audubon International (2007). Golf’s Green Bottom Line: Uncovering the Hidden Business Value of Environmental Stewardship on Golf Courses. Audubon International. 64 p.

(4) Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs. Code de gestion des pesticides. Last access November 4, 2009 http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/pesticides/permis/code-gestion/index.htm

(5) Laverdière, C., Dion, S., and Gauthier, F. (2007). Bilan des plans de réduction des pesticides sur les terrains de golf. Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs. 54 p.

(6) Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs. Les Phénix de l’environnement, édition 2009. Last access October 28, 2009. http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/Phenix/2009/5-realisation-entrep.htm

(7) Golf Digest (2008). Golf and the Environment: Golfer Perceptions and Attitudes Concerning the Game and its Relationship with the Environment. Golf Digest Publication. Research Resource Centre. 25 p.

Outlook for 2010

At a presentation given January 20, 2010, by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Terry L. Dale and Richard E. Sasso, CLIA’s President & CEO, and Chairman, Marketing Committee, respectively, shared some forecasts for the year 2010. The number of passengers should reach 14.3 million, while there were 13.4 million in 2009. Fares will rise, but will remain lower than they were in 2008. The major deals offered during the winter of 2009 will not be repeated this year, but consumers will still be able to benefit from special promotions like shipboard credits, free plane ticket, 2 for 1 cruises, etc.

Cruise companies will launch 12 new ships in 2010, including the much anticipated Epic, Allure of the Seas and Disney Dream. A survey of CLIA member travel agents showed that they are extremely optimistic and expect to see the number of reservations rise in the next three years. In addition, according to another CLIA survey, 34 million Americans are planning to take a cruise some time between 2008 and 2011.

In other news, Alaska is experiencing tremendous difficulty because a majority of cruise lines have announced they will redeploy ships from Alaska to other locations in the next two years. If this trend continues, the Alaska Travel Industry Association expects the number of passengers to fall by 140,000 in 2010, dropping to a total of 860,000 travellers.

Web 2.0 influence growing

Most cruise lines now use social media on a daily basis in their marketing campaigns. One such example is Royal Caribbean’s launch of Oasis of the Seas in the fall of 2009.  The company started by setting up an entire Website devoted to the new ship where visitors could follow the progress of the construction in real time. Numerous videos were posted to the site, showing everything from the ship’s maiden voyage to a presentation of onboard activities. Furthermore, its risky passage underneath the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark engendered enormous interest on the Web. The “Reporter at Sea” online contest was also organized to find citizen journalists to cover the launch. In total, the site received some 4.8 million unique visitors.

Source: http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/

Another extremely popular site is the blog written by John Heald, Senior Cruise Director, Carnival Cruise Lines. It is so successful that he was able to organize two thematic cruises in 2009, solely for his readers. Most cruise lines, as well as many ports of call, now maintain Twitter and Facebook profiles.

The trend towards sustainable cruising

Sustainable development is also becoming a major concern of consumers as well as cruise lines and destinations. Eco-cruising is increasingly popular and can significantly improve a destination’s market position. The Ecoventura, for example, is a ship that uses solar panels and wind turbines on its cruises in the Galapagos, and the ports of Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver now offer dockside power.

The phenomenon has also influenced the shore excursions developed. Costa Cruises created 240 eco-excursions to reduce its environmental impact. Furthermore, the Baltic Sea region has implemented a major environmental program. Among other things, it plans to equip all ports with an onshore power supply (OPS).

Finally, a major legislative change will force cruise lines to use low-sulphur diesel fuels when travelling within 200 nautical miles of the coasts of Canada and the United States (see Nouvelle réglementation sur la pollution de l’air par les compagnies de croisières: un désastre financier?). The industry is obviously concerned about the passage of this legislation, primarily for economic reasons such as the profitability of routes through the protected area, but also because of the limited availability of such fuels.

Changing products

Several indicators have changed somewhat in the last few years, due to the economic crisis. For example, consumers are now more price-sensitive when shopping for cruise packages so cruise lines are trying to outdo each other to create the most interesting packages. The phenomenon has also led destinations to offer economic incentives. Ukrainian ports are offering a 50% discount on port fees for every stopover during the winter of 2010. Price sensitivity is also the reason that there are now more ports of embarkation, since travellers increasingly want to be within driving distance of their departure location. In addition, the cruise booking window between the date of purchase and the date of departure has shortened, dropping from 5.6 months in 2008 to 4.6 in 2009.

Cruise passengers are increasingly experienced. They have sailed the Caribbean, visited Alaska and travelled along the West Coast of the United States. They are seeking new destinations, which is why the industry is currently witnessing the emergence of destinations in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia. The increased popularity of European cruises is also an offshoot of this situation, with river cruising a booming market. Member agents of the CLIA report that 34% of clients are very interested in river cruising. In 2008, the number of beds available in Europe was 71,300, an increase of 15% compared to 2007 and 62% more compared to 2005.

Other trends observed are the popularity of theme cruises, primarily those focussed on food and wine, as well as the success of private and cultural shore excursions. A new type of excursion that is becoming popular is the extended “mid-cruise” excursion, which enables visitors to spend several days in a single location. Silversea Cruises has announced they will offer 40 such excursions in 2010.

An increasingly international clientele

The clientele for cruises is gradually becoming more diverse. Although the vast majority of cruise passengers are American, the proportion of those from other countries is rapidly rising. In fact, out of 13.4 million cruise passengers in 2009, 23.5% came from outside North America, compared to only 10% in 2000. Furthermore, more Canadians are going to sea; some 775,000 took a cruise in 2009, a 9% increase over 2008. Canadians now account for one-quarter of non-American cruise passengers.

Now that the worst of the economic crisis is over, forecasts for the coming years are very optimistic. The trends affecting the cruise industry are much the same as those affecting other tourism sectors: sustainable development, social media, increasingly informed and experienced consumers, etc. The industry has already proved it is resilient and can quickly adapt to change. Will the rest of us be able to go with the flow?

Article written for the Ministère du Tourisme intelligence gathering project.

Sources:

CLIA, Media Cruise Update, January 20, 2010, presentation.
CLIA, As a source of passengers and appealing cruise itineraries, Canada’s importance to cruise industry continues to grow.
CLIA, 2008 Cruise Market Profile Study.
European politics, Baltic Region: OPS for Sustainable Port Development, October 12, 2009.
http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid206492.aspx
http://www.ecoventura.com/aboutus/ourgalapagoscommitment.aspx
http://www.expertcruiser.com/blog/mr-popular-carnival-announces-additional-bloggers-cruises-with-john-heald/
http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/3530-1410-odessa-reducing-port-dues-in-2010.html

Landscapes are an important tourism resource, so it is unrealistic for tourism stakeholders to offer unequivocal support for wind farms. For this reason, battles to stop wind farm development around tourism attractions continue, while at the same time opinions about wind farms continue to diverge. For example, there is opposition to the recently erected wind turbine on Grouse Mountain in Vancouver(2) and to the proposed wind farm near Mont St. Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Area in France, even though the turbines would be situated some 15 km from it.(3)

Wind turbines as tourist attractions?

For some people, wind turbines are symbols of sustainable development and valued for producing clean energy. Perhaps this attitude can give wind turbines some recognition for being part of modern heritage. Windmills, the predecessors of modern wind turbines, were also contested when introduced to the European landscape around the 12th century. In countries like Holland, windmills today are a visual part of the nation’s heritage and in Québec, many are also tourist attractions, notably on Île Perrot and Île aux Coudres.

However, wind turbines are unlikely to be a major tourism draw in their own right, especially since they are now increasingly part of the cultivated landscape in many countries. In some cases, they diversify the attraction base of a destination, like Cap Chat in the Gaspé Peninsula, where a visitor centre showcases the highest vertical-axis wind turbine in the world. Similar interpretation centres worldwide offer guided tours; in Denmark, for example, there are boat tours to see the offshore wind farms at Middelgrunden near Copenhagen. Preferences and attitudes towards modern wind farms are likely to evolve over time as people get accustomed to their presence, but it is unlikely that they will appeal to everyone in the future.

Visitor preferences

A Scottish report reviewing a number of studies evaluating the impact of wind farms on tourism suggests limited overall negative impacts.(4) However, tourists generally prefer wind energy projects to be located away from accommodation areas, historic sites, scenic areas and viewpoints, and places of natural beauty. The proportion of visitors who flatly oppose wind turbines near tourism attractions appears to be a minority, according to some reports. For example, a broad national survey in France showed 22% of the population thought wind turbines affected tourism negatively, while the rest were positive or neutral.(5) Similarly, in the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, a survey showed only 16% of visitors thought wind turbines degraded the landscape in general.(6) In a more recent study from Scotland, about 20% to 30% of tourists preferred landscapes without wind farms and the rest were mainly positive or neutral.(4) Tourist perceptions were also evaluated in a study in the Gaspé Region of Québec, where visitors generally expressed a positive attitude towards wind farms.(6) However, when asked about the establishment of new wind farms in the future, 56.4% preferred to see a concentration of wind turbines (more than 12 turbines) in a few places, rather than fewer turbines (less than 12) in multiple locations. Furthermore, 5.6% of visitors surveyed did not want to see any wind turbines in the Gaspé Region.(7)

Economic impact

While preference studies show broadly similar patterns, very few quantitative studies published to date have established empirical links between wind farms and the net economic impact on tourism. (8) Several studies use hypothetical scenarios to assess future preferences, thus indicating likely impacts on tourism.(9,10) Such studies tend to show that visitors would not change their travel patterns to an area if a wind farm were established, as 92% of visitors indicated in a survey in Southwest England, for example.(9) Overall, there is limited evidence to suggest that wind farms have a serious negative economic impact on tourism.

A report from Scotland estimated the net economic impact of potential wind farm development by calculating the combined effect of the changing number of tourists going to an area when a wind farm is constructed and the subsequent change in expenditures, and the lowered willingness to pay for a “room with a view” in an accommodation facility affected by the construction. The study looked at four areas in Scotland that represent about 12% of the country’s tourist activity and found that, in total, 81% to 98% of the tourists to these areas would be affected.(4) It also estimated the proportion of accommodation facilities in the same areas that would be impacted by the proposed wind farms, and this ranged from 9.83% to 32.40%. In the visitor survey part of the study, 63% of tourists preferred a landscape free of wind turbines from the hotel bedroom, while 28% were neutral and 9% were positive. The authors suggest visitor perceptions about wind farms are based on where they are. Thus, opinions about wind farms are likely to change if one has a passing view for a few seconds while driving by compared to having a longer, static view from a hotel room. For accommodation establishments with affected views, the study found a reduction in use by 4.9% to 16.20% and estimated a net expenditure reduction of between 0.48% to 1.59% respectively. The study also found proposed wind farm development may lead to a 2.5% loss due to fewer returning tourists visiting the area.(4)

Conclusion

In most places, like Québec, a variety of legislative and planning tools help minimize the social and environmental impact of wind farms.(11) In addition to its visual impact, wind farm development continues to push the limits of social acceptability in terms of its planning, management, operational control and fairness with regard to the distribution of benefits.(12) The few studies mentioned here suggest that even though the majority of tourists may appear positive about wind farms, one must look closer at preferences with regard to visiting places and choosing accommodations. In this context, it would be worthwhile to independently assess the effects of wind farms on tourism at the local and regional scale in Québec.

Sources:

(1) Ministère du Développement durable, Environnement et Parcs (2006). L’énergie pour construire le Québec de demain. La Stratégie énergétique du Québec 2006-2015. Québec: Gouvernement du Québec. 138 p.

(2) Colebourn, J. (2009). “Wind turbine power project installed atop Grouse Mountain,” in the Province. September 25. Accessed online 10 Oct. 2009. Http://www.theprovince.com/story_print.html?Id=2035719&sponsor=

(3) nouvelobs (2009). “Manifestation anti-éolien au Mont-Saint-Michel,” in Le Nouvel Observateur. September 26. Accessed online 10 Oct. 2009.
Http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/depeches/sciences/20090926.SCI7308/manifestation_antieolien_ au_montsaintmichel.html
(4) Riddington, G., Harrison, T., mcarthur, D., Gibson, H., and Millar, K. (2008). “The economic impacts of wind farms on Scottish tourism. A report for the Scottish Government.” Accessed online 16 Oct. 2009. Www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/214910/0057316.pdf

(5) Synovate (2003). Perception et répresentation de l’énergie éolienne en France. Ademe. 18 p.

(6) Institute CSA (2003). Impact potentiel des éoliennes sur le tourisme en Languedoc-Roussillon, France. Synthèse de Sondage. 5 p.

(7) Richard Guay Consultants (2004). Étude de marketing auprès des touristes de la Gaspésie afin de connaître leurs attitudes face à l’installation d’éoliennes. A report presented to technocentre Éolien Gaspésie-les-Îles. Québec. 37 p.

(8) Riddington, G., mcarthur, D., Harrison, T. And Gibson, H. (2009). “Assessing the economic impact of wind farms on tourism in Scotland: GIS, surveys and policy outcomes,” International Journal of Tourism Research. Published online in Wiley Interscience. DOI: 10.1002/jtr.750 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122609399/abstract

(9) visitbritain (2006). Foresight. Issue 33. July. Strategy and Communications Division.

(10) mori Scotland (2002). Tourist Attitudes towards wind farms. research study conducted for the Scottish Renewables Forum and the British Wind Energy Association. Final Report. Edinburgh. 24 p.

(11) Ministère des Affaires municipales et des Régions (2007). Guide d’intégration des éoliennes au territoire : vers de nouveaux paysages. Québec: Gouvernement du Québec. 38 p.

(12) Saucier, C., Côté, G., Fortin, M.-J., Jean, B., Lafontaine, D., Feurtey, É., Guillemette, M., Méthot, J.-F. And Wilson, J. (2009). Développement territorial et filière éolienne. Des installations éoliennes socialement acceptables : élaboration d’un modèle d’évaluation de projets dans une perspective de développement territorial durable. Rimouski: Université du Québec à Rimouski. 227 p.

Whale watching is still the fastest growing sector of general wildlife tourism worldwide and this is important for Québec, since marine tourism is a lucrative activity. According to a recent report, 13 million people went whale watching in 119 countries in 2008, compared to 9 million in 87 countries in 1998.(1) In the past 10 years, the whale watching industry has grown at an average rate of 3.7% globally, although with slight variations. For example, it grew by 13% in Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, by 10% in South America, Oceania and the Pacific Islands and by 7% in Europe. Although North America remains the largest whale-watching destination as it hosts almost 50% of all whale watchers worldwide (Table 1), the sector’s growth there has slowed to 1.5% per year.

Québec in the context of Northeastern America

Marine wildlife observation, particularly whale watching, is a well established part of the nature experience in Québec and the hotspot for this remains the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park (SSLMP). In this area covering 1,245 km2, a variety of marine creatures (including rare species such as belugas and blue whales) can regularly be spotted, even in close proximity to the shore.

Although the number of whale watchers has grown internationally, a general decline has been observed in the last 10 years along the Atlantic coast of North America. Québec is an exception, posting modest growth between 1998 and 2008 (Figure 1). Meanwhile, fewer visitors participated in whale watching in neighbouring destinations, with numbers declining by 25% in New England but only slightly in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The impact of fewer whale watchers along the Atlantic coast of North America in the past 10 years is a drop in the number of tour operators offering whale-watching activities (Figure 2). However, the reduced number of tour operators in Québec is due primarily to business consolidation.

Total expenditures attributed to whale watching are the highest in New England along the Atlantic coast, despite the decline in the number of whale watchers in the area (Figure 3). In this area, the industry generates $138.45 per whale watcher, with international clients comprising about 15% of the market. Québec ranks second in total expenditures, generating an average of $142.55 per whale watcher, with international clients making up about 20% of the market.(1)

Tourism in Québec’s whale-watching hotspot

In the SSLMP area, statistics show that an estimated 274,000 visitors took part in commercial boat-based whale watching in 2005, while the number of kayakers was over 35,000 per year. A further 60,000 participated in land-based whale watching at various locations around the marine park. Although about 40% of visitors were on day trips, another 60% spent an average of 3.2 nights in the marine park area and 40% were repeat visitors. (2) Whale watching clearly has a positive economic impact, but tourism benefits the park’s resource management very little or not at all because tour companies are not required to spend any of their profits on conservation efforts.(3) However, a few tour companies are associated with GREMM, a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research on the marine mammals of the St. Lawrence and education for the conservation of the marine environment. Visitors can contribute directly to GREMM’s efforts by becoming a member, visiting the museum in Tadoussac and participating in initiatives such as the ‘adopt a whale’ program. (4)

Although whale watchers are generally satisfied with their visit to the marine park,(5) there is also growing concern that the services offered are not entirely meeting demand, meaning a proportion of people may not be getting what they want out of their wildlife-viewing trip. According to recent visitor surveys, while visitors are generally very satisfied with the area, the educational component is weaker, with surveys showing only 46% of visitors are satisfied with their learning experience. This suggests that education and learning are not fully integrated into the visitor experiences currently offered. The fact that the majority of visitors observe wildlife from large motorized boats and cruise ships is an indication that marine wildlife viewing is very much oriented to “mass” nature tourism. Some visitors also express concerns that several tour boat operators seem to be chasing after whales.

Tourism is a closely monitored activity in the park and, since the implementation of special regulations in 2002,(6) amongst other measures, tour boat operators are required to have a permit, follow speed limits and respect distance requirements when approaching marine mammals. As belugas are endangered, they must be excluded from observation activities completely. At the present time, the tourism industry has been granted 59 observation permits, divided amongst some 16 companies. Although the marine park is vast, most boats leave from the quays at Baie-Sainte Catherine and Tadoussac, generating intense maritime traffic of about 80,000 trips per year. The resulting environmental impacts are numerous and include noise, traffic and collisions with marine mammals.(7)

Where to next?

The whale-watching industry has reached a certain maturity in Québec, compared to other destinations, although it appears to be a viable activity for now in the context of the North American Atlantic coast. Some of the issues raised in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park suggest that the tourism sector could reassess its approach to operations management and work to find a balanced co-existence with conservation. It is in the industry’s interest to manage wildlife observation more responsibly, so perhaps there is a need for a sector-wide educational toolkit, as well as some voluntary measures, such as certification and a code of ethics for responsible operations.

The local tourism industry could also collectively reconsider how to positively contribute to the conservation value of the park, since it is a protected area and an industry hotspot. Other things to review include the type of experiences offered, and what actions could be taken to ensure that the interests of the growing, and more eco-conscious, responsible travel market are also met. The park and industry alike could benefit by making interpretation a more integral part of the visitor experiences offered. Besides teaching people about conservation issues, they could encourage a variety of other low-impact activities already offered in the wider Saguenay region, such as those along the Whale Route.

Sources:

(1) O’Connor, S., Campbell, R., Cortez, H., & Knowles, T. (2009) Whale Watching Worldwide: Tourism numbers, expenditures and expanding economic benefits, a special report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouth, MA, USA, prepared by Economists at Large.

(2) Parks Canada. (2005) Visitor Survey. Québec Service Centre, Parks Canada Agency.

(3) Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. (2008) Report of the public consultations on the Review of the Management Plan. Saguenay St. Lawrence  Marine Park. 43 p.

(4) Group of Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM). Last accessed Oct 13, 2009. http://www.gremm.org

(5) Gosselin, D. and Priskin, J. (2009) Présentation dans le cadre de l’atelier de travail collectif sur les activités en mer au Parc marin du Saguenay—Saint-Laurent. September 9-10, 2009, Tadoussac.

(6) Marine Activities in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park Regulations. Last accessed Oct 13, 2009. http://www.parcmarin.qc.ca/1942_an.html

(7) Gareau, D., Pagé, M., Balej, R., Langlois, D. and Désaulniers, J. (2009) Activités en mer au parc marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent. Document de reflexion 2009 aux fins de discussion. Parc marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent, Tadoussac. 30 p.