Created in December 2006, the World Centre of Excellence for Destinations, a non-profit organization based in Montréal, is an innovative and powerful tool created with the assistance of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with which it is linked through a memorandum of understanding. The mission of the CED is to contribute to guiding tourist destinations around the world towards excellence by: developing their competitiveness; facilitating the achievement of their sustainable development objectives; improving the quality of the experience offered to tourists and visitors; sustaining or enhancing the geographical character of a place, (i.e. its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and well-being of its residents); and providing destinations with strategic information on the main issues concerning them. The CED acts as a catalyst for partnerships and collaborations with public and private stakeholders such as: Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), associations and experts from the tourist industry, universities, and civil society at large.