At a time when residents of European cities are revolting against overtourism, Montreal has been largely spared from the phenomenon.
What there is to know
- European cities are seeing protests against mass tourism.
- Montreal is largely spared from the phenomenon; a survey shows that its residents are rather in favor of welcoming visitors.
- Montrealers say they experience nuisances that they associate with tourism, including difficulties getting around the city and finding parking. However, this impression is unfounded, according to Tourisme Montréal.
On the contrary, Montrealers have a “very positive overall perception” of tourists, reveals a survey conducted by Tourisme Montréal among 600 residents, the results of which were published on Wednesday.
As part of the study, the opinion of the metropolis’ residents towards people passing through was compared to an average of the responses of the inhabitants of 13 other major cities in the world. Among the list, comparable cities such as Vancouver, Toronto or Quebec, but also several very popular tourist destinations, including Paris, London, Berlin and Barcelona.
About two out of three Montrealers (64%) say they have a “positive” perception of tourists, a result five percentage points higher than the average for other cities where the same survey was conducted.
On the other hand, the rate of “tourismophobia” remains low in the Quebec metropolis. Barely 4% of residents say they are “opposed to tourism and its promotion.” A result one percentage point lower than the average of the other cities studied.
Mass tourism
These figures are reason to rejoice among local authorities, according to Tourisme Montréal, since several European cities have been the scene of demonstrations against mass tourism for several months.
This is the case in Mallorca, Spain, where 20,000 people took to the streets last Sunday to voice their concerns about rising prices and a shortage of affordable housing. Not to mention cities that are imposing outright fees to try to stem the flow of visitors, such as Venice, Italy.
PHOTO JAIME REINA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A placard reading “Tourism yes, but not like this” during a protest against overtourism in Mallorca, Spain, on Sunday.
Hence the idea of conducting this type of survey in Montreal, explains Tourisme Montréal spokesperson Aurélie de Blois. “We wondered why some cities in Europe have reached this type of situation of overtourism, only to never get there,” she says.
However, there are some warning lights on the dashboard. For example, around 48% of respondents in the metropolis say that tourism causes problems “at certain times of the year”. This proportion is, however, five percentage points lower than the average for other cities.
The high rate of 71% of Montrealers who also say they support promoting tourism also hides the fact that fewer of them are in favour of it than when this indicator was measured last year. A trend that Tourisme Montréal associates with a certain “normalization” of attitudes towards visitors after a post-pandemic enthusiasm.
Also, among the sources of irritation expressed by Montrealers with regard to tourists, traffic and parking difficulties are at the top of the list. A perception that is however unfounded, according to Tourisme Montréal.
“The vast majority of visitors do not use their car at their destination and, if they do, they leave it parked because Montreal is a city that can be visited on foot,” says Aurélie de Blois, pointing out the BIXI network, the metro and buses.
More tourists in Montreal than elsewhere in Canada
After collapsing at the start of the pandemic when the borders were closed, the number of tourists coming to Canada is gradually starting to recover.
Some 2.7 million “non-residents” set foot in the country during the month of May 2024, or 95.7% of the number recorded at the same time in 2019, reveal the most recent data published by Statistics Canada on Tuesday.
These figures do not take into account more local phenomena. For example, the Quebec metropolis welcomed as many visitors last year as it did before the pandemic, in 2019, or around 11 million, recalls Aurélie de Blois.
And this year’s results look even better, she says. “There are a lot of people in town.”