ATTA continued its efforts to further relationships with key destinations when Chris Chesak, Executive Director for North America/Oceania, completed a three-city ‘road show’ in Quebec. Tourisme Quebec, who has been a longtime ATTA partner, and various local tourism boards and tour operators, requested Chesak’s visit in order to explore how ATTA can further expand the destination’s inbound adventure tourism. Discussion topics included possible AdventureEDU programs for Quebec and/or some of its specific touristic regions, exploration of a potential AdventureWeek and ATMEX-style event, and even long-term, conceptual discussions around bringing the Adventure Travel World Summit back to North America by again having the Summit in the province. “As many of us saw from the 2009 Summit in Charlevoix, this is a region that is rife with adventure product,” said Chesak. “And now that ATTA’s staff has expanded, we’re better positioned to deepen our relationship with key destinations like Quebec. This road show is proof of that ability, as well as our continued commitment to our long-term partners.” Chesak traveled through various villages in Saguenay and then Quebec City and Montreal during the four-day whistle-stop tour. Highlights of the trip included:
- The province’s first AdventureConnect during the quarterly meeting of Tourisme Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean at Le Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien
- Presentations to and all-day meetings with Tourisme Quebec, Quebec City Tourism, and Quebec Maritime
- Introductory meetings with Association Professionnelle des Receptives et des Forfaitistes du Québec, Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association, Quebec Aboriginal Tourism, and the new tourism development director of Nunavik Parks / Kativik Regional Government
- Inspection of the First Nations’ Huron-Wendat tribe’s own Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations
- Introductions to and Q&A with the board and staff of ATTA Association Partner member Aventure Ecotourisme Quebec