Sustainable Tourism

Mindful of the need to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the archipelago, the Madelinot community has assumed control of its tourist industry to ensure conformity with the principles of sustainable tourism. In 2006, after a discussion meeting designed to pinpoint the impact of tourism on the environment and to identify the issues involved in its continued growth, the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine and its socio-economic partners established an overall policy for tourism development. The commitments and means to be employed under this policy are based on four fundamental principles:  

• The economic, social and cultural impact of the development of tourism must be beneficial to the community as a whole and must contribute to an improved quality of life for Island residents;
• Tourism development must help promote and also preserve the diversity and unique aspects of our physical environment;
• Tourism development must provide opportunities to showcase and also to preserve the regional identity and culture, and the maritime, insular lifestyle that are the heritage of all Madelinots;
• Tourism development must be a complement to other economic activities on the Islands, specifically those activities related to the exploitation of natural resources on land and in the sea.  

Visit the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine Website to consult the document on the policy framework for the development of tourism.