Eastern Townships' profile to be raised on foreign markets North Hatley, Quebec, September 20, 2004 -- Passing through the region today, the Honourable Jacques Saada, Minister of Canada Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Francophonie, announced the award of a $1,200,000 non-repayable contribution to the Association touristique des Cantons-de-l'Est (Eastern Townships tourism association), to enable the tourism industry over the next three years to promote all the regional attractions likely to attract international tourists. 'Canada can be proud of the beauty of its wide open spaces and the richness of its natural resources,' Mr. Saada emphasized. 'The Eastern Townships is a magnificent region of Quebec where the environment is an invaluable asset. I salute the Association touristique des Cantons-de-l'Est for its remarkable promotional efforts.' The Association touristique des Cantons-de-l'Est is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1978 which has a membership of 560. The funds invested in this project by Canada Economic Development will enable the organization to implement the recommendations of a wide-ranging study specific to the international market carried out in 2003. These involve producing promotional materials, taking part in trade fairs and shows, organizing sales and prospecting missions, and putting performance indicators in place. A support program for tourism industry enterprises, set up in 2002, will be continued, to help them better prepare for foreign market penetration. The Association touristique des Cantons-de-l'Est's objective is to increase the number of foreign tourists from 207,000 in 2003 to 242,000 in 2007, and to increase spending by foreign tourists by $12 million in three years. This additional revenue should lead to the creation of 367 jobs in the regional tourism industry, for a total of 10,367 direct and indirect jobs by 2007. The $1,200,000 contribution from the Government of Canada was awarded under the International Development component of the Estrie Regional Strategic Initiative (RSI) program administered by Canada Economic Development. Canada Economic Development's mandate is to promote the economic development of the regions of Quebec. Primarily through financial assistance programs, the Agency elicits and supports the implementation of economic development projects. The two priorities the Agency has set itself are to foster innovation and the knowledge economy in each region of Quebec, and to help communities that are having difficulty adjusting to the new economy. In this way, the Agency contributes to the attainment of the Government of Canada's objective of building the 21st Century economy. Funding for this initiative was provided for in the March 2004 federal budget. - 30 - Sources: Lyne Montpellier Communications Canada Economic Development (800) 567-8637 Jean-François Del Torchio Press Secretary Office of the Honourable Jacques Saada (514) 496-1282
