An exciting summer in Québec

Québec’s tourism industry has been shaped by the pandemic, health restrictions, and travel bans for three summers, so what can we expect this summer? According to the professionals interviewed by ARQ Info, all indicators are green and we are even approaching the levels of 2019, a record year for the industry.

Despite the COVID-19 crisis, the Bas-SaintLaurent tourism industry has remained resilient, and Pierre Levesque, President and CEO of Tourisme Bas-Saint-Laurent, is positive about the summer ahead. “For remote regions, the pandemic worked in our advantage, as travellers were unable to leave the country and chose to explore places and regions in the province. We are already almost fully booked for July and August 2023.” The average occupancy rate of tourist accommodation in BasSaint-Laurent from May to September last year was 72.6%, compared with 68.5% provincewide. Pierre Levesque predicts visitors will return in comparable numbers until September.

Qu Bec City And Montreal

Summer is shaping up for a busy season in Québec City: “An encouraging sign has been the significant return of business tourism, an important sector for our region, which has suffered a significant decline in recent years. Thousands of travellers will be attending our exciting events,” explained Robert Mercure, General Manager of Destination Québec Cité. Tourisme Montréal forecasts a similar trend, estimating that 1.5 million more visitors will visit the city compared to 2022. In addition to the conferences, a strong festival line-up is in their advantage. The number of visits to Tourisme Montréal’s website has also been on the rise: “Nearly 1.4 million people visited our site, an increase of almost 60% over the same period in 2019,” stated Aurélie de Blois, spokesperson for the organization.

WILL INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS COME TO VISIT?

While Québec is a geographically well-located destination that attracts North American, European, and also Canadian tourists, Tourisme Montréal is remaining cautious. According to Ms. Blois, various socioeconomic factors could potentially reduce tourist arrivals this summer: “Global politics, pandemic fears, and the economy are key factors influencing travel. Current status is around 90% of our pre-pandemic levels, so we are confident of reaching 100% by the summer of 2024.” In total, Montreal is expecting 9.5 million visitors, including an estimated 2 million from America and 500 000 from France.

TOURISME MONTRÉAL FORECASTS A SIMILAR TREND, ESTIMATING THAT 1.5 MILLION MORE VISITORS WILL VISIT THE CITY COMPARED TO 2022.