Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat A.T. Inc., one of the world’s largest integrated tourism companies and Canada's holiday travel leader, welcomes the tourism measures contained in the 2012–2012 provincial budget tabled today by Finance Minister Raymond Bachand.

“We are pleased to see that the Government of Quebec is recognizing the tourism industry’s major contribution to the provincial economy, by devoting the necessary financial resources to the implementation of a tourism development strategy for the 2012–2020 period,” Mr. Eustache said. “We have always believed in the importance of strengthening the competitiveness of our destination and our offering to international tourists. As such, it is imperative that we establish an overall strategy that will enable us to act quickly.”

Transat, with its business units Air Transat, Jonview Canada, Vacances Transat (France), ACE and Canadian Affair, plays a major role in Canada’s incoming international tourism industry. Every year, some 500,000 passengers visit Quebec and the other provinces, benefiting from Transat’s offering of a full array of tourism products and services, including guided tours, individual packages that combine air and train travel with vehicle rental; sports or adventure packages; customized group packages, and more.

Transat A.T. Inc. is an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries. A holiday travel specialist, Transat operates mainly in Canada and Europe, as well as in the Caribbean, Mexico and the Mediterranean Basin. Montreal-based Transat is also active in air transportation, accommodation, destination services and distribution. (TSX: TRZ.B, TRZ.A)