Quebec’s Tourist Regions - Gaspésie

The Gaspésie tourist region is located in the southeast of the province of Quebec. It is a peninsula covering nearly 30 341 km^2[1]. It is surrounded by 3 bodies of water:

• St. Lawrence River

• Gulf of St. Lawrence

• Baie des Chaleurs

Gaspésie is renowned as one of Quebec's most beautiful tourist destinations. It has even been ranked more than once as one of the best destinations in the world by National Geographic magazine.

The many spectacular landscapes are what make Gaspésie so popular. The region is criss-crossed by the Chic-Choc Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian mountain range. Baie-des-Chaleurs offers numerous beaches.

This diversity of landscapes and attractions allows visitors to enjoy many forms of tourism, including beach tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism and even culinary tourism.

In order to welcome visitors to Gaspésie, the region's many landscapes and attractions need to be developed. These infrastructures must not only meet the needs of tourists, but also enhance the various attractions.

As a large proportion of Gaspésie's attractions are nature-based (mountains, beaches, sea), several national parks have been developed. The Gaspésie region boasts 3 provincial national parks.

• Parc national de la Gaspésie

• Miguasha National Park

• Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé

Gaspésie also has a federal national park, Forillon National Park.

National parks are designed to accommodate tourists while preserving landscapes and ecosystems. Campgrounds and chalets are set up to accommodate visitors. In addition, facilities and infrastructures are installed to enable the practice of various activities, such as marked trails for hiking or mountain biking, or places to rent equipment such as canoes and kayaks.

These types of infrastructure enable tourists to enjoy a wide range of activities in an organized and environmentally sustainable way.

Tourist routes have also been developed for the Gaspésie region. The circuits are organized around different themes and follow an itinerary that offers attractions and activities related to the theme.

The region also offers other tourist facilities, such as:

• inns

• lookouts

• rest stops

• tourist information centres

• picnic areas

• observation points

Tourism has replaced some of the economic activities that were once vital to Gaspésie’s economy, such as mining, forestry and seafood. Tourism creates many jobs in the lodging (hotels, campgrounds) and food service (restaurants, local products) industries, contributing to the region's economic development. In 2022, the economic benefits of tourism in Gaspésie were estimated at $340 million^[4].

However, tourism doesn't only have positive impacts. It also has negative impacts that can jeopardize the protection of the region's tourist attractions and its environment.

Many of Gaspésie's tourist attractions are tied to its landscape. Yet many activities take place in the same area. Infrastructure such as electricity pylons or logging areas can affect tourism by altering landscapes and causing them to lose their beauty.

Coordinating development to meet different needs is one way of protecting the landscapes that tourists are looking for. This way, different needs can be met. The creation of protected areas, such as wildlife reserves or national parks, also helps to preserve landscapes.

The effects of organizing a territory for tourist activities can be detrimental to ecosystems. Animal and plant species are impacted, and some have difficulty adapting which puts them at risk of extinction.

The creation of protected areas, such as a national park, as well as raising tourist awareness of ecosystem protection are two ways of reducing negative effects.

The Gaspésie region is experiencing a housing crisis with residents finding it extremely difficult to find an apartment in the region. Tourism is exacerbating the situation.

Many people have to leave their homes during the tourist season. Indeed, some landlords only agree to rent out their properties if the tenants leave during the summer. This allows them to rent to tourists at a much higher price during these few months.

This creates "hidden homelessness" meaning some Gaspesians find themselves camping outside or living in their cars or trailers during the summer. This can be particularly difficult for families. Often, people feel obliged to accept these conditions because of the scarcity of available housing.

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