The Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region holds a prominent place among Quebec’s leading snowmobiling destinations. With abundant snowfall, spectacular scenery, and more than 3,800 kilometres of maintained trails, the region has plenty to offer snowmobilers from Quebec and beyond.
But how does a destination such as Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean gain visibility outside Quebec? This is where the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec, working alongside regional tourism organizations, plays an important role.
However, its mandate needs to be clearly understood: the Alliance does not manage snowmobile clubs or trails. Its contribution focuses primarily on representing Quebec’s tourism industry and marketing the province as a travel destination.
What Is the Role of the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec?
Created in 2016, the Alliance now represents more than 12,000 tourism businesses through 50 regional and sectoral association partners. It acts as a voice for Quebec’s private and associative tourism sector.
Since 2016, Quebec’s Ministry of Tourism has also entrusted the Alliance with a mandate to market the destination outside Quebec. These efforts are notably carried out under the Bonjour Québec brand, in collaboration with the Ministry, tourism businesses, and industry associations.
This is where snowmobiling comes into the picture.
Snowmobiling: An Important Tourism Product for Quebec
Snowmobiling is much more than a winter recreational activity. It is a tourism experience capable of attracting visitors and generating overnight stays in many regions of Quebec.
The Alliance therefore conducts campaigns designed to position Quebec as a premier destination for snowmobile expeditions.
For the 2024–2025 season, for example, a campaign developed with 11 partners specifically targeted Ontario and the northeastern United States. It included video content, a Quebec snowmobiling guide, Meta campaigns, and partnerships with specialized media, including SnowTrax and SledMagazine.
The strategy continued in 2025–2026. According to the Alliance, that campaign brought together 10 tourism partners, including Tourisme Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Its promotional initiatives included YouTube, SnowTrax, SledMagazine, Meta content, Ski-Doo influencers, and a dedicated snowmobiling page on Bonjour Québec.
The Alliance’s role is therefore primarily to promote Quebec’s snowmobiling experience and the regions where it can be enjoyed, rather than administer the activity on the ground.
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean: A True Snowmobiling Destination
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean offers more than 3,800 kilometres of maintained trails and receives close to 300 centimetres of snow annually, according to Tourisme Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. The landscapes of the Monts-Valin area and the sheer size of the territory contribute greatly to its reputation as a snowmobiling destination.
However, the experience extends well beyond the trail network.
Accommodations, restaurants, snowmobile relays, outfitters, and other tourism businesses allow visitors to turn a day on the trails into a complete winter getaway.
Snowmobilers can also use iMotoneige, the official application of the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec (FCMQ), to plan their trips. The app provides trail routes and status information, grooming dates, itinerary planning, and locations of various services. Businesses displayed on the platform can notably be registered by regional tourism associations.
This distinction is important: the FCMQ and snowmobile clubs are involved with the trail network, while tourism organizations focus on promoting and developing the visitor experience.
Much More Than Snowmobiling
One of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean’s strengths as a winter destination is the diversity of activities available to visitors.
At Parc national des Monts-Valin, the famous Vallée des Fantômes provides a spectacular setting for snowshoeing and Nordic skiing. Heavy snowfall covering the trees has helped make this area one of the region’s signature winter landscapes.
Ice fishing is another iconic regional experience. It is practised notably on the Saguenay Fjord and Lac Saint-Jean, where several businesses offer fishing huts, equipment rentals, and related services.
Accommodations, regional cuisine, and a variety of other outdoor activities further allow visitors to extend their experience beyond snowmobiling.
Promoting the Entire Tourism Experience
This is perhaps where the connection between the Alliance, snowmobiling, and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean becomes most interesting.
A tourism campaign focused on snowmobiling does not simply promote a trail or a snowmobile. It can showcase an entire travel experience: riding through spectacular winter scenery, staying overnight in the region, discovering local cuisine, and enjoying other activities during the trip.
The Alliance’s destination marketing campaigns are designed to generate interest in Quebec and its regions and encourage travellers to choose the province for their next trip.
For Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, this visibility helps introduce an activity deeply rooted in the region’s winter culture to a much broader tourism audience.
Different but Complementary Responsibilities
It is important to distinguish between the responsibilities of the various organizations involved.
The Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec does not manage snowmobile clubs, maintain trails, or oversee the FCMQ. Its responsibilities include representing the tourism industry and marketing Quebec as a destination.
Tourisme Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, meanwhile, promotes the region as a tourism destination, while the FCMQ and its member clubs perform roles directly related to the trail network and services for snowmobilers.
Their responsibilities are different, but each contributes in its own way to the visitor experience.
And when a snowmobiler from Ontario, the United States, or elsewhere discovers the snowy landscapes of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and decides to plan their next snowmobile expedition there, the importance of destination marketing becomes clear.
