Tourisme Montréal offsets some of the CO2 emissions it generated

MONTREAL , Dec. 7 /CNW Telbec/ - Tourisme Montréal is pursuing the green plan it embarked on last year by announcing it will invest $7,000 in the Montréal Nature Museums Foundation to offset a portion of the CO2 emissions generated by all of its activities in 2008.

This announcement is in line with the green policy that Montréal's promotional organization made public in March 2008 , notably by distributing its Guide to the Green Office, which sets out numerous steps Tourisme Montréal employees can take to change their consumption habits and strives to raise awareness among all tourism industry stakeholders of eco-responsible measures they can adopt.

"The Montréal Nature Museums Foundation seemed an obvious choice," says Tourisme Montréal's President and CEO, Charles Lapointe . "It provides support to the museum establishments it oversees--the Biodôme, the Insectarium, the Botanical Garden and the Planetarium--and enables them to pursue their mission, which is to foster an awareness among current and future generations of the natural sciences and the importance of respecting the environment. What's more, by investing in the Montréal Nature Museums Foundation, Tourisme Montréal is also contributing to the 'greening' of the destination."

Tourisme Montréal has already taken many tangible actions to reduce its environmental footprint. Indeed, adding an eco-responsibility provision to contracts with its suppliers, creating and coordinating the Montréal Tourism Industry Green Committee and encouraging its employees, partners and associates to adopt sound practices in terms of quality and sustainable development are but a few of the measures implemented by the organization since February 2008 .

The steps taken by Tourisme Montréal and all of its partners have already garnered results. For instance, Montréal recently earned the quality accreditation from Destination Marketing Association International and was recognized by the National Geographic Society for being the first major city in the world to sign the Geotourism Charter.

    
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    Tourisme Montréal is responsible for providing leadership in the
    concerted efforts of hospitality and promotion in order to position the
    destination on leisure and business travel markets. It is also
    responsible for developing Montréal's tourism product in accordance with
    the ever-changing conditions of the market.
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For further information: Pierre Bellerose, Vice President, Public Relations, Product Research and Development, Tourisme Montréal, [phone], [email protected]