Îles-de-la-Madeleine, a municipality of just over 12,000 in Quebec, is implementing new policies that will require visitors to scan a QR code when they enter and leave the municipality.
The measure is part of a plan to charge tourists a $30 fee, detailed in draft regulations adopted by the local government on April 9. The local government introduced the “Passe Archipel” (Archipelago Pass) and created the Sustainable Territorial Management Fund. The proceeds of the pass will be used to improve tourism infrastructure and preserve the natural environment of the Îles de la Madeleine archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
“Thanks to the payment of the Archipelago Pass, visitors will support the preservation of the natural environment of the archipelago and the improvement of recreational tourism infrastructure,” Mayor Antonin Valiquette said in a news release.
Paying the fee allows visitors to get the Archipelago Pass with a QR code that can be used to enter and leave the municipality. The pass is on sale from May 1 to Oct. 14 and each visitor over the age of 13 must pay the $30 fee, up to a maximum of $100 per family.
“We want to continue to welcome visitors year after year by offering them adequate services and that is why we are setting up this fund,” Mr. Valiquette said.
The municipality said the pass would help both tourists and local residents, as well as protect “certain fragile aspects” of the area.
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According to a regional tourism website, half of the funds raised will go to the regional community for regional park and waste management costs. The other 50 percent will go to the municipality and help cover the costs of recreation and tourism infrastructure.
Those who access the municipality without paying for the pass could face a fine of $1,000, according to a report from 24Hours.
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