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ATTA Association Partner Profile - Aventure Écotourisme Québec

Aventure Écotourisme Québec
www.aventure-ecotourisme.qc.ca

Address:
4981, boul. Lévesque Est
Laval, Québec
Canada
H7C 1N3
Phone: 1 450 661-2225 or 1 866 278-5923
Fax: 1 866 290-6550

Primary Industry Contact:
Annie Lévesque
Marketing Manager

The province of Québec provides an exotic locale to embark on an exciting adventure steeped in French-speaking culture and history. Our local guides, using an English language peppered with French expressions, impart to all visitors their passion for adventure and ecotourism in this corner of paradise.

Aventure Écotourisme Québec
Aventure Écotourisme Québec (AEQ), the Association of Professionals, is the ideal portal to your voyage. Professionals concerned with the environment, safety and quality have united under our banner. We represent adventure and ecotourism professionals, including outfitters, training schools, tourist associations and travel wholesalers. Our mission is to protect, represent and promote the interests of our members who are committed to developing top quality guided products in Québec that are safe and eco-friendly.

Our outfitter members are routinely inspected to ensure that they meet our rigorous safety standards that are among the most demanding in Canada’s eco- and adventure tourism industry.

Target Audience
Whether a neophyte or an adrenaline junkie, young or old, a snow devil or a heat seeker, in great shape or poor condition, no frills or all-included, or anything else for that matter, one or more of our members is bound to offer it. Look at a map and you will see that Québec’s vast expanse of land and water, pristine forests and varying climate make it an ideal location to satisfy your outdoor needs.

Adventure Tourism
In the summer, you can kayak, canoe or go rafting for a day or a month in the ocean, the Gulf of St-Lawrence, or on any number of wild rivers and lakes. Maybe you’ll want to go scuba-diving. If you’re more partial to land, there are thousands of miles of hiking trails, an excellent network of cycling circuits and horseback riding loops. Canopy trekking among the treetops is a burgeoning industry that is adored by kids and adults alike. If it’s mechanized outings you want, head out on an ATV or in a jeep. If you want something completely different, try rappelling down canyon walls!

Yes, Québec has snow too, lots of it! Those hiking trails are now for snowshoeing. If skiing is your thing, Québec has every kind imaginable: cross-country, backcountry, telemark and ski-joring. Just don’t come for a ski vacation in July or you’ll be sorely disappointed. Did I mention the vast expanses of land? It’s ideal for dog-sledding expeditions. Québec is also renowned for its extensive snowmobiling network.

Ecotourism
Québec is a very wild place. Sign on to a nature observation tour to observe deer, moose, black bears, ducks or hundreds of thousands of geese in their natural habitat. An eco-cruise brings you into contact with belugas, seals, sea birds and whale including, if you’re lucky, the blue whale. Visits to aboriginal grounds are very popular. Guests can indulge in a traditional meal, learn about their customs and sleep in a tepee, all in the company of an aboriginal guide.

Advantages of AEQ
In Quebec, anybody can put up a sign and call themselves guides or outfitters. However, how do you know who you are dealing with? What experience do they have? What training do their guides have? Is their equipment modern and maintained? Are they insured? When an organization is a member of the AEQ, you know that you are dealing with certified professionals. Potential members must prove that they meet our high standards of safety and quality, have liability insurance and that their guides are properly trained for the activity that they will lead. Only then will the AEQ certify them. After becoming a member, organizations are visited regularly by our staff to ensure that they continue to meet or surpass our standards.

When you book an eco- or adventure tourism outing with a certified member of the AEQ, the Association of Professionals, you can be confident about their:

• Rigorous safety standards
• Specialized guides
• Quality equipment
• Liability insurance
• Thorough knowledge of the natural environment

Additionally, Québec’s predominantly vibrant French culture differs significantly from the North America’s more common English and Spanish experiences. We can help you to organize your visits so that the culture is an advantage, not an impediment.  

How to Proceed
The key is to find an outfitter with whom you feel you can work. We suggest that you go about this in one of two ways. Call the AEQ directly and tell us what you are looking for. We will be able to pare down our list of members to those that can fulfill your requests. Or you can visit our website, check out our members and contact those that have the most potential. They look forward to introducing you to all that our natural environment has to offer.

So come to Québec and enjoy the great outdoors with the AEQ!