Quebec Aboriginals are aware and proud of their rich and absolutely unique hospitality, culture and ancient skills. To continue to improve their sometimes difficult living conditions, Aboriginal communities strongly encourage entrepreneurs to initiate programs that promote their identity and perpetuate their traditions.

The past few years have seen a growing international demand for ethno-cultural, ecological and adventure tourism and this has opened up an ideal niche for Aboriginal tourism products.

The eleven Aboriginal nations in Quebec are found throughout fifteen different tourist areas. While their locations allow them to offer very diversified tourism products, the isolation of these businesses, communities and nations constitutes the greatest challenge facing the development of Aboriginal tourism.

A nonprofit organization, the Quebec Aboriginal Tourism Corporation is the fruit of serious reflection on the part of people from various nations having an interest in tourism who wanted an efficient instrument to advance their economic development.

CORPORATE STRUCTURE AND SERVICES

The Quebec Aboriginal Tourism Corporation (STAQ), successor to the Société touristique Innu (STI), assists aboriginal tourism businesses in the development and promotion of their products.

After taking over from STI in April 1999, STAQ has broadened its operations to cover not only the Atikamekw and Montagnais communities but all Quebec Amerindian and Inuit nations. In the spring of 2004, the general assembly decided to include the Innus of Labrador, at their request.

STAQ is firmly committed to building a brand image for Aboriginal tourism by offering tools that are indispensable to the economic development of the industry.

With the backing of the Assembly of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, of Tourisme Québec and of the Canadian Tourism Commission, STAQ brings together Aboriginal tourism enterprises in order to provide them with a structure, to position them in the market, and to encourage product diversification and coherence.

STAQ centralizes tourism activities and expertise for greater efficiency and professionalism and stands behind the quality and authenticity of accredited products.