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Before the meeting of the entire industry at the Assises du Tourisme 2022, Minister of Tourism Caroline Proulx announced a major investment of $92M to develop regional tourism in Québec. These funds will facilitate the renewal of agreements with the 21 regional tourism associations (RTA), equal to an annual increase of 40%, and the renewal of the Regional Tourism Partnership and Digital Transformation Agreements (EPRTNT).
An amount of $56M will be allocated to new agreements with the RTA for the next four years. These agreements will give the RTA the momentum needed to fulfil promotion and marketing mandates; hospitality and tourism signage; and development and structuring of the tourism offer.
For their part, the EPRTNT, which is administered by the RTA, will receive an investment of $31M over three years. Outstanding levers of cooperation between the Ministère du Tourisme, the RTA and other partners, the EPRTNT help bring to life tourism offer development projects. This government investment is in addition to the $20.9M financial participation of many local and regional partners, bringing the envelope deployed in all regions of Québec through the EPRTNT to $51.9M.
Finally, an amount of $5M has been set aside for renewed support of promising group projects affecting several regions of Québec. This envelope will again be administered by Tourisme Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
With this investment, the Government of Québec recognizes once again the importance of the partnership with the ATR and their support for the vitality of the tourism industry in all the regions of Québec.

Quote:

“The tourism industry is a major economic force for all of Québec. Its success is the result of the drive of the players present in each of our beautiful regions. I am delighted with the funds announced today, which underscore the importance our government places on regional tourism development and the growth of tourist activities throughout Québec. The regional tourism associations are invaluable partners of the Ministère and the industry: they have a deep understanding of their territory and have shown the leadership needed to mobilize regional and local players. In collaboration with the associations and the entire industry, we are continuing to build the tourism of tomorrow with strength and conviction. Your government is proud to contribute to the growth of the regions and the dissemination of Québec as a destination of choice.”
Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism and Minister Responsible for the Regions of Lanaudière and the Bas-Saint-Laurent

Highlights:
  • The agreements with the RTA will enable the regions to benefit from the predictability of their actions in the coming years, thereby encouraging the retention of the labour force and the development of longer-term projects.
  • These agreements also support the development of the tourism offer based on the characteristics of each region and in line with the governmental guidelines, especially in relation to responsible and sustainable tourism and innovation.
  • The new agreements with the RTA differ from the previous ones in the integration of commitments to responsible and sustainable tourism and the culture of innovation within the tourism industry. These mandates comply with the guidelines of the 2021‒2025 Tourism Intervention Framework and the 2020‒2025 Action Plan for responsible and sustainable tourism.
  • The EPRTNT are aimed at distributing tourism industry investments based on regional priorities and reinforcing the synergy between all the local partners.
  • The projects covered by the EPRTNT must fall within the following categories:
    • Attractions, activities and equipment;
    • Structuring of the tourism offer;
    • Accommodation;
    • Festivals and events;
    • Studies and consulting services;
    • Digital development of an enterprise.