Together, at the Heart of the Journey

Countries of exploration: Chile · Canada · Algeria · Morocco · Mexico · Argentina

Explorers: Harmony Le Reste · Mariane Breton · Azanie Roy · Carolann Forgues · Aurélie Vaillancourt · Sarah Salem · Sabrina Pelletier · Sarah Jacques

Duration: 3- to 5-week assignments, between July and December 2025

Mission objectives

• Meet local communities through a diversity of tourism initiatives and experiences with positive local impact
• Observe existing practices related to responsible and sustainable tourism
• Conduct impact assessments of the solidarity-based, community-led and Indigenous tourism initiatives encountered
• Contribute to content creation (visual and written) to showcase and amplify sustainable tourism initiatives
• Foster human, cultural and professional exchanges with local stakeholders
• Contribute to the creation of new partnerships and the strengthening of the network

In short, to meet in order to tell stories—and in doing so, inspire more travelers to make conscious choices that create meaning and positive impact for their next journey.

Partners: Air Canada, Groupe Voyages Québec, LOJIQ, Izourane Algérie, Tala’Coop, SODEV Maroc, Red Indígena de Turismo de México (RITA), Ruta de la Yerba Mate, Turismo Indígena Tarapacá, Trekking Aymara, Origins, Turismo Karülafken

Explorator: Francisca Sepúlveda

Duration: 3-month university internship

Exploration / internship field: Maule region, Chile

• Capital: Santiago
• Languages: Spanish and 11 indigenous languages
• Population: 19.5 million
• Currency: Chilean peso

Objectives of the internship:

• Promote the value of traditional craftsmanship in the Maule region of Chile, a region that is the epicenter of Chile’s peasant and rural culture.
• Preparation of a sample of 50 traditional artisans who work with different materials and who represent the cultural ecosystem of the region. Each has given formal consent to be part of this work.
• Connect the responsible traveler to an artistically rich destination that takes them not only on a physical journey but also on a historical, heritage, and cultural journey outside the mainstream tourist flow.

Partners: Fundación TrekkingChile, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)

Explorer: Rafael Forteza

Duration: 30 days

Exploration area: Teotihuacan Valley, then the municipality of Marquelia, located in the south of the state of Guerrero.

• Capital: Mexico City
• Languages: Spanish and 68 indigenous languages
• Population: 136.9 million
• Currency: Mexican peso

Context: Mexico is a country of great cultural and natural wealth. The country boasts over 42 areas belonging to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (Calmard, 2023). The country is a must-see for tourists, especially for its heavenly beaches and impressive waterfalls. However, this…

Partner: Association Red Indígena de Turismo de México Asociación Civil (RITA)

Explorers : Andrée and Nicolas

Duration : 40 days

Exploration area : Japan (Tokyo, Isaka, Kyoto, Hakone), Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa, Hué, Hoi An), Cambodia (Angkor, Phnom Pen)

• Capital : Tokyo / Hanoi / Phnom Penh
• Language : Japanese / Vietnamese / Khmer
• Population : 124 752 000 / 103 808 319 / 17 227 142
• Currency : Yen / Dong / Riel

Background : The destination choice was made during the pandemic lockdown. We dreamt of a confounding cultural trip, but were worried about the promiscuity or the weakness of health measures in certain destinations. Vietnam seemed like a secure and seducing destination through its cultural practices like…

Explorers : Laura et Manon

Duration : 5 weeks

Exploration area : Chili

• Capital : Santiago
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 19,6 million
• Currency : Pesos chilien

Background : Chile, the jewel of South America, fascinates with its diverse culture and breathtaking natural landscapes. However, it faces major socio-economic challenges, particularly for its 9 indigenous communities, which make up more than 10% of the population and are struggling for economic development and the preservation of their cultural identity…

Partner : Karulafken

Explorers : Leo and Alyssa

Duration : 3 weeks

Exploration area : Peru

• Capital : Lima
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 34,05 million
• Currency : Sol

Background : Peru is a country of great biodiversity, cultural wealth and natural heritage, particularly in the Andes. However, this wealth is threatened by the overuse of natural resources, pollution and climate change. Sustainable tourism, which takes into account the environmental, economic and social impacts of tourism, helps preserve biodiversity and local cultures while generating income for local communities…

Partners : Rednati, Kina8at

Explorer : Malak Harakat

Duration : 4 weeks

Exploration area : Panama

• Capital : Panama
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 4,4 million
• Currency : Amerian dollars, Balboa

Background : Panama is a country of great cultural and natural wealth, with a huge proportion of natural parks. However, this wealth is threatened by the overuse of natural resources, pollution and climate change. Sustainable tourism, which takes into account the environmental, economic and social impacts of tourism, helps preserve biodiversity and local cultures while generating income for local communities…

Partner: Redturi

Explorer : Sabrina Labranche

Duration : 4 weeks

Exploration area : Colombia

• Capital : Bogota
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 51.87 million
• Currency: Peso colombiano

Background : Colombia is a South American country with a wide variety of landscapes, from the beaches of the Caribbean to the mountains of the Andes, from the Amazon rainforest to colonial cities. In recent years, Colombia has seen a significant increase in the number of tourists, attracted by its rich culture, history, exotic nature and friendly people…

Explorer : Guillaume Dartigue

Duration : 4 weeks

Exploration area : Peru

• Capital : Lima
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 34,05 million
• Currency : Sol

Background : Specialized exploration in partnership with a local tourism agency. The exploration highlights current or new partners of the Exquisito Perû agency, under the theme of community tourism, but also agrotourism. The explorer’s mission is to discover local agrotourism initiatives, to meet small local producers, and to label accommodations and activities for inclusion on the Vaolo platform, with a target of 12 accommodations and 5 activities per accommodation. He will also be responsible for creating video and photo content for Village Monde, as well as for the initiatives he encounters.

Explorer : Justine Coutu

Duration : 6 weeks

Exploration area : Ecuador

• Capital : Quito
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 18 million
• Currency : US Dollar

Background : Ecuador is a country in South America, bordering Peru and Colombia. It also has a maritime border on the Pacific Ocean. As its name suggests, Ecuador lies on the equatorial line, which crosses the country from north to south. The capital of Ecuador is Quito, but the largest city is Guayaquil…

Explorer : Cynthia Allard

Duration : 4 weeks

Exploration area : Gabon

• Capital : Libreville
• Language : French
• Population : 2,2 million
• Currency : Franc CFA (CEMAC)

Background : Gabon is a lesser populated country with a hot and humid Equatorial climate. The exploitation of the thick forest is an important ressource. It is one of the least populated State of Central Africa and at least three-quarters of the population lives in the cities, mainly…

Explorer : Sacha-Olivier Dulac

Duration : 8 weeks

Exploration area : Guatemala

• Capital : Guatemala City
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 17 million
• Currency : Quetzal

Background : Country of mountains, the Hauts-Plateaux Region goes through the center, formed by mountain ranges exceeding 3 000 m above sea level dominated by, in the south, the alignment of active Sierra Madre volcanoes. The entire northern part, almost a third of the country, is coverred by the tropical rainforest and a little bit of savannah. Neglected for a long time…

Explorer : Tanya Lécuyer

Duration : 16 days

Exploration Area : Uzbekistan – Tashkent, Chimgan, Forish, Nourata, Samarcande, Gilan, Boukhara, Khiva

• Capital : Tashkent
• Language : Uzbek
• Population : 34 million
• Currency : SUM ouzbek

Background : Uzbekistan is a country in central Asia sharing borders with Turkmenistan, Kirghizistan, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. A small part of the country touches the Aral Sea, but it is still considered as doubly landlocked since you would have to go through at least to other countries to get to a Global Ocean. The capital of Uzbekistan is Tachkent, the city…

Explorater : Debbie Imhof

Duration : 3 weeks

Exploration area : Mexico 

• Capital : Mexico
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 129 million
• Currency : Mexican Peso

Background : The mexican culture is rich and complex. Born from the fusion between indigenous and colonial traditions and beliefs, it never ceases to fascinate historians, anthropologist and archaeologist. This mix of cultures has also…

Explorer : Denis Lyonnais

Duration : 20 days

Exploration area : Bolivie – La Paz, Copacabana, Santiago de la Huata

• Capital : La Paz
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 11 million
• Currency : Boliviano

Background : Bolivia is located in South America, and its administrative capital, La Paz, is perched at over 3,500 m altitude. Landlocked and wedged between 5 borders (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Peru), it is the poorest country in the region. One Bolivian in 8 lives on less than US$1.25 a day…

Explorer : Claudia Vachon

Duration : 8 weeks

Exploration area : 

• Capital : Buenos Aires
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 45 million
• Currency : Argentinian pesos

Background : Argentina’s landscapes offer a striking contrast: a desert separates the snow-capped peaks of the Andes Mountains from the Atlantic Ocean, not to mention the jungle, crystal-clear lakes,…

Explorer : Amélie Jette-Masse

Duration : 8 weeks

Exploration area : Mexico

• Capital : México
• Language : Spanish
• Population : 133 million
• Currency : Mexican peso

Background : Mexico is a Latin American country, bounded in the southeast by Guatemala and Belize, and in the northwest by the United States. It is a very large territory, with almost two million square kilometers… 

Explorer : Stéphanie Gravel-Couture

Duration : 8 weeks

Exploration area : Morocco

• Capital : Rabat
• Language : Arabic and Berber
• Population : 37.34 million
• Currency : Moroccan dirham

Background : Morocco is located in the extreme northwest of Africa, bordering Algeria, Mauritania and Spain. Bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the country offers a rich diversity of landscapes, mixing mountainous regions, desert areas and…

Explorer : Tanya Lecuyer

Duration : 12 days

Exploration area : Algiers, Tipaza, Kalâa Ath Bès, Ghardaïa, El Menia, Timimoun

• Capital : Algiers
• Languages : Arabic and Berber
• Population : 44.62 million
• Currency : Algerian dinar

Background : Between sea, mountain and desert, Algeria is a North African country situated between Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger where nearly 45 million people live.

Explorers : Isabelle Vitté and Charles Mony

Duration : 23 days

Exploration area : Pangalanes Canal in the East, Central and South-West regions

• Capital : Tananarive
• Language : Malagasy
• Population : 27.69 million
• Currency : Ariary

Background : Madagascar is a huge island off the southeast coast of Africa. It is one of the 5 poorest countries in the world and 75% of the population lives below the poverty line…

Explorers : Gaétan Mony, Elodie Pellequer and their two daughters aged 5 and 2 and a half

Duration : 10 weeks

Exploration area : Zanzibar Island, Arusha and the Kilimanjaro region, Southern Highlands (Morogoro, Iringa and Mbeya)

• Capital : Dodoma
• Language : Swahili
• Population : 59,73 million
• Currency : Tanzanian shilling

Background : Tanzania lies between the great lakes of East Africa and the Indian Ocean. The country covers just under 950,000 km2 and has a population of 60 million, 65% of whom live in rural areas…

Explorers : Laura Mony

Duration: 40 days

Exploration area : Itinerary through the whole of Sri Lanka

• Capital : Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
• Languages: Sinhalese and Tamil
• Population: 21.92 million
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

Background: Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island in the Indian Ocean, about 30 kilometres southeast of India, characterised by religious, cultural and linguistic diversity…

Explorers : Isabelle Vitte and Charles Mony

Duration: 13 days

Exploration area: Central (Naryn region), South (Osh region) and a bit of Central (Jalal-Abad region)

• Capital : Bishkek
• Languages: Kyrgyz and Russian
• Population: 6.592 million
• Currency: Som

Background: Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked, extremely mountainous Central Asian country (average altitude over 3,000m) along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean…

Explorers: Charles Mony and Isabelle Vitte

Duration: 20 days

Exploration area: Northern (Tigray), Central (Amhara) and Southern (Southern Nations and peoples) Ethiopia

• Capital: Addis Ababa
• Language: Amharic
• Population: 115 million
• Currency: Birr

Background: Ethiopia, located in the Horn of Africa, is, with a population of 100 million, the second most populous country in Africa but one of the poorest in the world…

Explorers: Charles Mony and Isabelle Vitte

Duration: 9 days

Exploration area: North-West (Banc d’Arguin National Park) and North (Adrar desert) of Mauritania.

• Capital: Nouakchott
• Languages: Arabic and French
• Population: 4.65 million
• Currency: Uguiya

Background: Mauritania is a poor country, ranked 155th (out of 188) in the United Nations Human Development Index in 2016, and in 2018, 17% of the population was considered to be below the poverty line.

Explorer : Denis Lyonnais

Duration: 16 days

Exploration area : Central and South : Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo

• Capital : Belmopan
• Languages: English and Kriol
• Population : 397 621
• Currency: Belizean dollar

Background: Belize is a tiny Central American country nestled between Mexico and Guatemala that declared its independence in 1981…

Explorers: Isabelle Vitte and Charles Mony

Duration: 14 days

Exploration area: Kangerlussuaq, Southern Region (Narsarsuaq) and Illulissat

• Capital : Nuuk
• Language: Kalaallisut
• Population: 56,421
• Currency: Danish krone

Background: Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory with an area of 2.166 million square kilometres, 87% of its population being Inuit, the island’s indigenous community. The territory is characterised by very harsh climatic conditions that make the living conditions of the inhabitants difficult…

Select, train and send young explorers from Quebec and New Brunswick on interprovincial mobility missions to promote the Canadian Francophonie and strengthen ties between Quebecers and Francophones and Francophiles in Canada

• Promote the Canadian Francophonie in the Acadian and Quebec territories
• Promote sustainable Francophone tourism initiatives
• Strengthen the ties between Quebecers and Francophones and Francophiles in Canada

Partners: Acadian Peninsula Tourism

Training and coordination of the sending of several explorers from Quebec and Ontario from one province to the other. The purpose of these mobility trips is to promote a rich and mobile Canadian Francophonie.

Contribute to the development of Francophone and Canadian communities in Canada
Promote and encourage the use of French in Canada
Strengthen ties between Quebecers and Francophones / Francophiles in Canada

Partners: Société économique de l’Ontario (SEO)