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Agrotourism and Gourmet Tourism

AGROTOURISM AND GOURMET TOURISM

Agrotourism and Gourmet Tourism in Outaouais

While agrotourism and gourmet tourism are increasingly seen not only as a simple diversification of agricultural incomes, but also as a vehicle for the development of rural communities and an excellent means of restoring the link between consumers (often urban ) and producers, it seems important to support the movement by offering structured support adapted to the needs of companies interested in this marketing channel. Especially since agritourism and gourmet tourism are now a popular product and tourists are actively looking for this service offer when they visit a region.

Indeed, as documented by the study published in the fall 2016 by Lemay Strategies on the economic spin-offs and the importance of agro-tourism and gourmet tourism * in Quebec, this tourism sub-sector has experienced the strongest growth in Quebec the past five years. It is also the one for which the strongest growth is forecast for the next five years.

It is in this perspective that the Table agroalimentaire de l’Outaouais, with the support of the ministère de l’Agricluture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation and Tourisme Outaouais, set up a process to help structure and grow agrotourism and gourmet tourism in Outaouais.

Agrotourism

Agrotourism is a touristic activity taking place on a farm. It connects agricultural producers with tourists or excursionists, allowing them to discover the agricultural environment, agriculture and its production through information and activities that their host shares.

Gourmet Tourism

Gourmet tourism is the discovery of the regions through distinctive culinary experiences as well as agrotourism and agri-food activities highlighting the know-how of its artisans and allowing them to share their own products and dishes. The two concepts are so closely linked that it is now common practice to talk about agritourism and gourmet tourism together.

Structuring approach to agrotourism and gourmet tourism

In 2009, key stakeholders in Outaouais met to set up a regional committee on agrotourism and gourmet tourism. It is thanks to the work of this committee that the first agrotourism route in the region, the Outaouais Gourmet Way (Parcours Outaouais Gourmet), emerged in 2010, and then a consultation tour was carried out in spring 2015.

Following the latter, the committee decided to set up a Regional Development Plan for Agrotourism and Gourmet Tourism. The objective of this three-year development plan is to enable Outaouais to realize its full potential in the agrotourism and gourmet tourism sectors. This plan, built around three axes (information, development and promotion), aims to take agrotourism and gourmet tourism further so that they both continue to contribute to the socio-economic development of our region.

This plan is part of a broader approach, that of the Outaouais Strategic Agrifood Planning 2013-2018 (PSAO) *. PSAO is the result of a long consultation process with all stakeholders in the region’s agri-food sector. Its purpose is to define the challenges related to the development of the agrifood sector as well as the objectives to associate with it and to promote the concerted development of the agrifood sector. The Agrotourism and Gourmet Tourism Development Plan therefore joins the PSAO mainly at the level of the first issue (Diversification and growth of agrifood activities) and of issue 2 (Positioning of the agrifood sector).

Some achievements

Networking of businesses and stakeholders in the agricultural sector

Acquisition of knowledge on agrotourism and gourmet tourism through annual training

Agrotourism and gourmet tourism development tools