Mobilizing residents to co-build an authentic destination

Located in Northern Ontario, Moonbeam Township is known for its close-knit French-speaking community, its privileged access to nature and... its iconic flying saucer! Despite a strong sense of local belonging and the presence of natural jewels such as René-Brunelle Provincial Park, Moonbeam's tourism potential remained largely untapped. The Moonbeam Economic Development Corporation (CDEM) therefore wanted to adopt a realistic and mobilizing tourism development plan, to enhance its unique identity, diversify its economic activities and strengthen regional attractiveness among target customers.

Our intervention was based on a participatory methodology combining strategic analysis, citizen mobilization and good practices in community tourism. The ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development) approach guided our workshops to bring out the strengths and talents already present at Moonbeam. Some highlights of the process:

• A comprehensive tourism diagnosis of the destination and its target customers, to identify the strengths and gaps to be filled;
• A major community event bringing together nearly a hundred residents around questions of identity and the future: What do we want to make visitors experience? What are the benefits for our community? The participants thus thought together about what makes Moonbeam unique, what experiences to share with visitors, and what benefits they want for their community;
• Two co-creation workshops with local partners to transform these aspirations into concrete actions: structuring the offer, communication, partnerships, reception...

The active involvement of residents and community actors has made it possible to develop a common vision and shared priorities for action. This community mobilization has strengthened local pride while directing efforts towards realistic projects that are aligned with Moonbeam's identity strengths. The strategic tourism plan, accompanied by its evolving action plan, now constitutes a clear road map to guide the next stages of tourism development in the municipality. Through this approach, the population was placed at the heart of the project, with solutions designed with and for the territory, in a logic of sustainable tourism.