The Petit Champlain district was completely crowded during the day on Sunday. Around 7,000 tourists arriving on five ships flooded the area, to the great delight of traders for whom the high season continues until November thanks to maritime traffic.
“It’s a nice bonus after a good summer tourist season. We really see a difference in the store’s traffic,” says Andrée-Lise Langlois, a saleswoman at the jewelry store Le Forgeron d’Or, on rue du Petit Champlain.
Others, like a souvenir shop employee met by The newspaper, even believe that five ships at the dock, “that’s a lot for the capacity of the district”. The passage of the Quebec Marathon near Place Royale added its grain of salt to the traffic.
Photo Vincent Desbiens
“There are so many people stepping on each other’s heels. It’s a day like you rarely see in October, with the sun and the nice temperature, so it also attracts people from Quebec to come for a walk. It’s good for the atmosphere and for turnover, but it’s a lot of management. »
Many cruise passengers wanted to go to the Dufferin Terrace to admire the Château Frontenac. It took several minutes to wait to take the funicular, when the Newspaper.
Photo Vincent Desbiens
Tourists won over
On a stopover in Quebec, passengers from Mein Schiff 6, a colossus 295 meters long, fell under the spell of Quebec. Two members of the swarm of tourists arriving from New York greatly appreciated their first visit to the capital.
Photo Vincent Desbiens
“We feel like we’re in Europe,” notes Michelle Simons, on the arm of her husband, Jim. It’s a building style and ambiance not usually found in America [du Nord]. »
Photo Vincent Desbiens
Her partner highlighted the good, pleasant atmosphere that reigned in Old Quebec under the radiant sun. The two retirees did not “believe they needed their summer clothes” in October, in Quebec.
Busy season
Even if the number of ships that will call at Quebec will not reach the 150 observed in 2019, the Port of Quebec still sees this as a step forward compared to the years 2020 to 2022.
Last year, 100 cruise ships stopped in the National Capital. Between last April and next November, boaters from 124 boats are expected to land.
The director of communications for the Quebec port authority, Frédéric Lagacé, maintains that tourists who come by sea represent “around 10%” of Quebec’s tourist revenue.
Cruise ships stopping in Quebec:
2018: 156
2019: 150
2020: N/A
2021: N/A
2022: 100
2023: 124
Mein Schiff 6 :
- 295 meters in length
- 15 height bridges
- Ability to 2700 passengers
- A total of 1000 crew members
- Built in 2017