Tourists passing through Montreal will now have the opportunity to offset the carbon footprint of their entire trip, which includes major sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as transportation, catering or accommodation. . This measure is included in Tourisme Montréal’s Harmonious Destination strategy, a sustainable tourism development plan that will be officially announced on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the Montréal Climate Summit.
As the industry recovers from two difficult years of pandemic, the organization wishes to make this resumption of tourist activities synonymous with sustainable development. A GHG emissions calculator will be set up by Tourisme Montréal, in partnership with Aéroports de Montréal and the GHG Carbone Boréal offset program.
“It will result in an amount of money that the tourist will be able to pay to Carbone Boréal, which will take care of planting pines north of Chicoutimi,” explains the vice-president of destination development and public affairs at Tourisme Montréal, Manuela Goya, interviewed at To have to. “For the moment, we only have this method to offset our GHGs,” she says.
Ultimately, we are convinced that tourists will come to Montreal not only for the Montreal spirit, for our festivals, but also for our concern for sustainable and responsible development.
Aéroports de Montréal’s vice-president of public affairs, Martin Massé, notes the innovative nature of the project. “Some airlines already offer tourists to offset their carbon footprint, but it’s only for the duration of the flight,” he explains. “On our Web page, we will redirect people to the compensation site,” he says. And we are working on a way to make people on site aware of offsetting their GHG emissions, so there should also be a physical presence. [à l’aéroport Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau]. »
The compensation program should be ready by late summer or early fall.
“Legacies” for the city
Tourisme Montréal’s Harmonious Destination strategy is part of a desire to bring about “major change for tourism in Montréal”, says Ms.me Goya. “We ask tourists to ensure that their passage is not harmful to the city. »
International events passing through the city will also be targeted by the organization’s desire to make Montréal tourism more eco-responsible through a “legacy” program. “We want the conventions that come to us and that are major consumers and polluters to be able to offset the GHGs produced and leave a legacy in Montreal,” continues Ms.me Goya. The first event directly affected by this measure will be the 24and International AIDS Conference, which the city will host from July 29 to August 2. “In relation to AIDS, we know that certain communities are more at risk, so we want to obtain funds to invest them in communities that may be more affected,” she describes. These social impact programs of the events will be set up in collaboration with their organizers, assures the organization, which aims for carbon neutrality by 2030.
Tourisme Montréal is also working on innovative responsible tourism development projects. “We launched the “murelles” movement to take advantage of what seems like a nuisance in the city center,” explains Ms.me Goya. The project, whose name is a contraction of the words “mural” and “alley”, aims to clean up alleys in the city center to paint murals and hold ephemeral events. “We want to make it a hidden circuit, a bit like a speakeasy “, she adds.
Two walls should be inaugurated this summer, and the organization aims to create 10 to 15 of them within four years. “It’s an example of tourism development with benefits for both tourists and Montrealers,” said Ms.me Goya.
To carry out its projects, the organization hopes to benefit from part of the $30 million envelope invested under the Action Plan for Responsible and Sustainable Tourism. Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx made the announcement in February 2021.
“Ultimately, we are convinced that tourists will come to Montreal not only for the Montreal spirit, for our festivals, but also for our concern for sustainable and responsible development,” rejoices Manuela Goya.
The Harmonious Destination strategy will be officially unveiled at the Climate Summit on Tuesday. at Bonsecours Market. Various players from Montreal institutions will meet there to discuss the city’s climate ambitions.