Understanding methods of intervention to strengthen entrepreneurial innovation in climate change adaptation in the Magdalen Islands and the Laurentides region, leading tourist areas
This collaborative research project encourages small and medium-sized tourism businesses in the Magdalen Islands and the Laurentides region to develop and experiment with climate change adaptation measures.
Project details
Principal(s) investigator(s)
Context
Like many human activities, tourism already has to adapt to climate change. However, the industry’s fragmentation into a multitude of sub-sectors, its seasonal constraints and the small sizes of the businesses can hinder the ability to take action. Tourism can adapt to climate change through innovative, unifying initiatives that bring together small and medium-sized tourist businesses, local institutions and scientists who can explain the effects of climate change. These initiatives should make it possible to engage tourism organizations with the issue of climate change so that they can feel capable of adapting. This collaborative research project encourages small and medium-sized tourism businesses in the Magdalen Islands and the Laurentides region to develop and experiment with climate change adaptation measures.
Objective(s)
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To identify adaptation and innovation needs in keeping with the positions of participants in the tourism value chain of the Magdalen Islands and the Laurentides region
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To document the innovation process, and in particular its obstacles and boosters
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To carry out experiments promoting adaptation to climate change
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To provide materials to support the various target organizations in their adaptation
Funding
Methodology
The operational framework of the research draws from the concept of living laboratories in order to create conditions conducive to innovation. The methods used, in collaboration with the Laboratoire en Innovation Ouverte of the Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup, such as collaborative approaches, design thinking, human-centred design and collective experimentation methods, aim to:
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Encourage creativity and empathy during workshops with tourism stakeholders in the Magdalen Islands and the Laurentides region
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Generate conditions that best respond to the realities experienced by participants
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Experiment with ways of adapting to climate change
In addition, qualitative methods (semi-directed interviews) are used to document and to inform the perception process of tourism stakeholders in the Magdalen Islands and the Laurentides region.
The involvement of local partners, namely the Magdalen Islands’ Recreational Tourism Cluster and the Créneau Tourisme de villégiature quatre saisons (all-season resort tourism cluster) in the Laurentides region, is encouraged to ensure the experiments continue over the long term.
Expected results
This project aims to:
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Identify adaptation and innovation needs in keeping with the positions of participants in the tourism value chain of the Magdalen Islands and the Laurentides region
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Document the innovation process, and in particular its obstacles and boosters
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Provide materials to support the various target organizations in their adaptation
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Carry out experiments promoting adaptation to climate change, focusing on three aspects:
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Businesses, by experimenting with adaptation solutions on the scale of a SMB
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Tourist sites, by experimenting with adaptation solutions at the level of the tourist site (which can bring together several organizations)
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Institutional policies and tools, by adapting certain recommendations or tools designed by institutions (ATR, ATS, municipalities, RCMs, ministries, etc.) to the scale of SMBs
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Benefits for adaptation
In a context where tourism SMBs may have time issues and financial challenges when engaging in a climate change adaptation process, this project opens up the possibility of supporting collective experimentation with adaptation measures by conducting workshops designed to create favourable conditions for learning and collaboration.
The project aims to offer innovations that may be material, managerial, educational or social, for example.
The support process developed as part of the project and certain results may also potentially help other Quebec tourist regions adapt to climate change.
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