Quality-Safety certification : the result of a recognized expertise

Over the past 15 years, Aventure Écotourisme Québec has worked hard to gain recognition for its expertise in professionalizing adventure tourism in Quebec.

The Quality-Safety certification is a self-regulation system for adventure tourism companies, developed by Aventure Écotourisme Québec with the financial support of the Quebec Ministry of Tourism. It includes over 60 generic standards, as well as specific standards for each activity, based on some of the most rigorous criteria in our industry.

Aventure Écotourisme Québec offers comprehensive support throughout the certification process. A standards guide and a number of tools and templates are available to companies that commit to the process. At the end of the process, a certification advisor confirms compliance with the standards during an on-site visit. A subsequent certification visit takes place every three years. Mystery shopper visits are also carried out from time to time.

The Quality-Safety certification is a unique model worldwide, cited as a reference by the World Tourism Organization (Global Report on Adventure Tourism, volume 9, 2014).

Aventure Écotourisme Québec mandated to do the work

By entrusting Aventure Écotourisme Québec with the mandate of certifying adventure tourism companies, the Ministry of Tourism recognizes the association's expertise and the merits of the certification process for the professionalization of this sector in Quebec.

Adventure tourism companies who are not members of Aventure Écotourisme Québec and who wish to apply for financial assistance from the Ministry of Tourism will now have to demonstrate that they meet the Quality-Safety certification standards. Thanks to financial support from the Ministry of Tourism, Aventure Écotourisme Québec will provide these companies with the support they need to complete this process (coaching, tools and on-site assessment with experts in the field).

This significant financial assistance follows a call from Sylvie Bernier, Olympic champion and author of the book Le jour où je n'ai pas pu plonger, for more rigorous safety standards for adventure tourism activities in Quebec.

An incentive for customer safety

This announcement by the Minister of Tourism is a major incentive for adventure tourism companies. The main objective is to encourage all adventure tourism businesses in Quebec, whether or not they are clients of the Ministry of Tourism, to offer visitors from here and abroad a safe outdoor experience, in line with the collective desire to make Quebec a world-class tourist destination.