MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Sept. 24, 2012) - Acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Senator Jean-Guy Dagenais announces that the Tourism Intelligence Network of the Transat Chair in Tourism received funding that will enable it to continue supporting Quebec's tourism enterprises and organizations in their efforts to become more competitive.

"Tourism is an important source of economic diversification, growth and employment, which is why it is necessary for the Government of Canada to support organizations that, like the Tourism Intelligence Network, are helping to create a favourable environment for the development of businesses in this sector," said Senator Dagenais.

This funding has allowed the Transat Chair in Tourism, which is affiliated with the Université du Québec à Montréal's school of management sciences, to, among other things, organize Symposium 2012 sur les mesures de performance et les contributions économiques du tourisme-a two-day conference opening today in Montréal on the role of tourism as a lever of economic development.

Information:

This support, granted in the form of a $1,285,000 non-repayable financial contribution, has been awarded through Canada Economic Development's Community Diversification program.

To learn more about the Transat Chair in Tourism, visit www.chairedetourisme.uqam.ca.

For further information on the Tourism Intelligence Network, see www.veilletourisme.ca.

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