Les Îles de la Madeleine, located on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (Canadian province of Quebec), were recognized CreativeFriendlyDestination(R) by the Creative Tourism Network® (CTN) within the Conference on organized last October 24th, by the public body Tourisme des Îles de la Madeleine.
The recognition was delivered to M.Michel Bonato, Tourist Board General Manager, and M. Jason Bent, Development Manager, highlighting the project’s added values, among them :
– the Islands’s unique cultural identity,
– a very participative, collaborative and friendly citizenry,
– a vibrant creative atmosphere that attracts artists and artisans,
– an inclusive and creative model of destination management,
… which make the destination so attractive for creative and responsible tourists.
A wide array of creative experiences is already available and will broaden within the next weeks, like natural soap workshops, ceramic classes, art glass training, cooking classes, photography workshops, etc.
This project perfectly fits with the issues presented within the conference, like the seasonality of the tourist activities, of which a relevant panel of experts shared their experiences and proposals to diversify and extend the season:
– M. Paul Sabing – Director of Quality – Agence d’Attractivité de l’Alsace (AAA)
– Mrs Francine Patenaude – Director of Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est
– Mrs. Louise Nadeau, Director of Quebec maritime
Finally, Michel Bonato presented the very positive balance of the high season that was confirmed and shared by the whole local stakeholders.
