It was during an academic competition that destiny made Myriam Corbeil and Solène April, then students in tourism and hospitality management at the UQAM School of Management Sciences, inseparable teammates.

“We both worked in luxury hotels, and then we wanted to start a project in Quebec,” says Myriam Corbeil. “Our research on hotel and tourism innovations revealed a growing trend for everything that is ephemeral. Just think of pop-up stores or restaurants that are open for a limited period. We said to ourselves: why not create a temporary hotel?”

Pivoting in the midst of a pandemic

They first target regions where the influx of tourists is skyrocketing in connection with events in order to fill a lack of accommodation and they develop a concept of an unusual and ephemeral ecotourism experience halfway between camping and traditional hotels. When the company was created in 2019, they therefore organized their tour around 10 festivals such as Festif! in Baie-Saint-Paul. The pandemic will obviously get the better of this business model since all these events have been cancelled.

They then gave themselves a week to think about it and developed the concept of a UNIQ village in nature that will set up and move its homes in four prime tourist destinations this summer. Of the 30 units planned, they will install 10 units per village in order to comply with health measures.

Still based on tourism occupancy rate statistics, they will therefore head this summer to the Grandes-rivières du lac Saint-Jean regional park (July 24-August 11), the Lac Taureau regional park (August 14-September 3), the Jardins de Métis (September 9 to 20) and then the Baie de Beauport (September 22 to October 12).

Outdoor hospitality service

“So far, the response has been very positive,” says Myriam Corbeil. “There’s even one person who chose to follow us to the four destinations in order to take the time to discover these corners of Quebec through a concept that appeals to her. Our goal is precisely to help our customers discover these regions. We’re teaming up with local partners to offer tastings of local products and activity passports at reduced prices.”

The two business partners will be part of the adventure 100%. "We welcome customers at the reception like in a hotel lobby and we direct them to their unit. Before their arrival, we send them a newsletter about the region. We partner with chefs in the region to offer box lunches and we organize picnics on the beach or in the forest. We are there to make their experience as pleasant as possible."

The "village" effect will be created in particular with the communal tent where guests can cook, play games or relax in the hammocks and beanbags provided for this purpose. In the evening, the village will come alive with the sound of musical instruments and the light of the bonfire.

An acceleration lane

Although the concept of a nature village was already in the pipeline for the two entrepreneurs, it had been postponed in favor of festivals, which allowed for faster development. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to develop phase 2 before phase 1 of their project. “Next summer, we hope that the festivals will resume and that we will be able to keep both concepts: nature village and festive village!” concludes Myriam Corbeil.