The City of Saguenay and the MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay are working together to create a new image for the tourism brand: Saguenay Fjord, a whole to share. The affiliated municipalities want to attract more tourists to the region.
From now on, the tourist promotion of Saguenay and the municipalities of the MRC from Fjord-du-Saguenay will also be performed under the same image.
During a press conference on Tuesday, representatives of the various partners involved indicated that the goal behind this merger is to be more coherent in the visitor attraction strategy.
Together we have almost everything. We lack nothing to shine internationally
launched Saguenay Mayor Julie Dufour during the event.
Everything is supervised by Promotion Saguenay and required an investment of just over $500,000, especially to create the brand image and implement it in the various tourist markets.
According to the prefect of the MRC of Fjord-du-Saguenay and Mayor of Bégin, Gérald Savard, the two authorities regularly collaborate in sharing certain services. He therefore believes that this unification in tourism is completely natural.
With everything we have together, we will be able to help each other even more and work together on aspects that may be more difficult for one or the other. By doing this we will be stronger and better organized with Promotion Saguenay and our own organizations, MRC. We will get better.
Several partners participated in the press conference on Tuesday.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Béatrice Rooney
A simpler and more dynamic image
According to the general manager of Promotion Saguenay, Priscilla Nemay, the vision behind the concept is to bring together Saguenay and the MRC of the Fjord under the same simplified, modern and young brand image. She confirms that the two entities complement each other well thanks to a balance between urbanity and nature.
We wondered: what sets Saguenay apart more than its identity as one of the ten largest cities in Quebec? And the MRC of the Fjord-du-Saguenay is its unique character with the fjord a unique jewel in the province.
A new website is also part of the strategy. Visitors can find various tools and tips, such as a travel planner and the favorite places of tourist advisors.
One of the new promotional posters for Saguenay Fjord. The makers said they opted for a young and modern brand image.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Courtesy of Saguenay Fjord
By relying on its new brand image, Promotion Saguenay also hopes to attract new tourists to the region.
Everyone knows Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, but Montreal’s younger and more dynamic customer base is looking for a slightly more modern product.
says the chairman of the board of directors of Promotion Saguenay, Éric Larouche.
This modernity that is Saguenay with the playground that the MRC of the Fjord-du-Saguenay, it is a comparison that guarantees success on this side
he continues.
Hope for the tourism community
After several natural disasters, the municipalities of Bas-Saguenay experienced a slowdown in tourism in the summer of 2023.
In Rivière-Éternité, a forest fire and a major landslide had a major impact on the community, which subsequently struggled to attract visitors. The mayor, Rémi Gagné, hopes that this new promotion of tourism will succeed in restarting the market, which is vital for his municipality.
It will help us, but the fact remains that we have lost a place, the Fjord-du-Saguenay national park. It is an important product in Bas-Saguenay and it was closed for a number of weeks, he says. It is certain that traders had a lot of difficulty with this. This summer we hope things go well, we turn the page.