In 2023, four destinations in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue tourism region in the province of Quebec, Canada, signed a partnership agreement with CED: Abitibi Amos-Harricana, Abitibi-Ouest, Rouyn-Noranda, Vallée-de-l’Or.

The first result of the partnership was the implementation of the SMED Lab in each destination. The process, which took place over several months, included the following activities:

– a series of workshops involving several tourism stakeholders;

– field visits;

– working meetings between destination managers and CED experts;

– the formulation of recommendations aimed at improving the destination’s performance in the four SMED (System of Measures for Destination Excellence) areas: sustainability; governance; activities; services;

– the presentation of recommendations at an event during which workshop participants and destination managers received a certificate of participation in the SMED Lab process issued by the CED.

Throughout the SMED Lab process, Abitibi Amos-Harricana, Abitibi-Ouest, Rouyn-Noranda and Vallée-de-l’Or were accompanied by Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the entity responsible for tourism at the regional level, recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Tourism.