Get rolling with BIXI and the STM!

Magazine Géotourisme, created in partnership with STM, is a bilingual magazine that makes it possible for shuttle users, during their short ride, to soak up Montréal’s values and attractions favouring responsible tourism. Featuring a rich content focused on sustainable development, the magazine will be distributed free of charge from today until September 30, 2010, at the STM stand at Montréal-Trudeau Airport and aboard the 747 Express Bus shuttles.

The launching event for Magazine Géotourisme was held on the terrace at Montréal City Hall, attended by Bernard Blanchet, member of the STM Board of Directors and borough councillor for Lachine, Richard Deschamps, member of Ville de Montréal’s Executive Committee, in charge of economic development and major projects, and municipal councillor for Lasalle, by representatives of the community group l’Itinéraire, as well as several other partners and officials.

“The STM takes pride in its association with the new Magazine Géotourisme as it reflects our commitment to sustainable development. We all know that public transportation is one of the best ways to reduce GHG emissions, which has a direct and positive impact on the quality of life of all Montrealers. Clients can find out more about Montréal’s values and attractions, as the magazine will gradually become available aboard the 747 Express bus and at the STM stand at Montréal-Trudeau Airport,” declared the STM’s Bernard Blanchet.

Created with the help of Ville de Montréal, the concept is as practical for tourists as it is for Montrealers who want to discover the different facets of their city, as the magazine also imparts useful information to readers and travellers during their stay, along with addresses and events worth checking out.

“Clearly, Montréal is acquiring a distinction as a destination of choice, a city at the forefront in a number of fields. In 2007, it became the very first city to be awarded the prestigious “Geotourism” status by the National Geographic Society. The launch of
Magazine Géotourisme is another major step in consolidating Montréal’s unique character, in terms of responsible tourism, sustainable development and social innovation,” emphasized Richard Deschamps, responsible for major projects, economic development, infrastructure and roads, on Ville de Montréal’s Executive Committee.

The new magazine highlights Montréal’s social, environmental, cultural and heritage aspects.

“This magazine is an achievement in social economics along the same lines as Magazine L’Itinéraire, which for the past 16 years has provided work for over 400 people each year, by aiming for coherent social reintegration while facing increasingly pressing needs, and where some 2000 people are welcomed at the community coffee shop. By designing a new magazine, along with the ads it features, we achieve a double purpose: a welcoming gift for visitors that proves useful to them the minute they arrive at Montréal’s airport, and an additional financial resource for L’Itinéraire’s work, as all profits generated by the magazine are dedicated to social rehabilitation services for the homeless. In terms of integrated achievement and community sense, this project and the partners who contributed to it make Montréal a perfect example of an eco-responsible tourist destination,” explained Chloé Roumagère, Editor of Magazine Géotourisme for L’Itinéraire.

With an editorial committee and first-rate contributing editors from Montréal’s tourism community, the new magazine’s contents feature actual life experiences and help us discover Montréal from the inside out. By promoting a means of transportation that is coherent, practical and environmentally-friendly, the magazine presents a number of articles on a variety of subjects, including :

• The very notion of geotourism, which is a type of tourism that preserves and showcases the geographical character of a given destination – its environment, culture, aesthetic value, heritage and the well-being of its population;
• The history and walking tours of Montréal’s neighbourhoods;
• The thriving industries that drive the city;
• The unusual sites waiting to be discovered;
• The shared values of community and sustainable growth in Montréal, etc.

Simply reading the new magazine aboard the STM’s 747 Express Bus shuttles is an action in support of solidarity !