There have never been as many overseas travelers in Montreal as last summer, according to the end of season report from Tourisme Montréal published today. The latter, especially French and other Europeans, were 15% more numerous than during the 2019 summer season.
Overall, 11 million tourists discovered the Quebec metropolis, which is equivalent to pre-pandemic levels.
“According to our forecasts, we did not think that things would go as well for Montreal, especially with the inflation context,” said Manuela Goya, vice-president of destination development and public affairs for Tourisme Montréal.
“People like to travel a little further,” she continued. Also, there are more and more mixed trips. These are conventioneers who come to spend more time by combining business with leisure time. »
The addition of direct flights between Montreal and various cities around the world encourages the influx of overseas travelers, believes Mme Goya. However, she specifies that there are “a lot of things to work out with the airport”. The latter was highly criticized during the summer, particularly for the formation of lines of cars and waiting at customs. “We especially don’t want tourists to regret their choice once they are here,” said the spokesperson.
A drop of water in the ocean
Furthermore, it seems that the organization’s efforts to offset the carbon footprint of all these visitors have not borne fruit. Since summer 2022, a tool on the Tourisme Montréal website allows users to calculate the GHG emissions associated with their trip. They are then suggested to make a donation, proportional to this total, to the Carbone boréal project for tree planting. Now, Mme Goya admits that the volume of users is low.
“It’s below our expectations,” she admitted. However, the website is increasingly visited, attracting eight million visitors, compared to six million in 2022. The spokesperson believes that the organization will have to promote its calculator in a more active and intelligent way, particularly at within partner hotels.
Tourisme Montréal is placing increasing emphasis on the sustainability of the tourism industry, in particular by encouraging visitors to take their time, stay longer in the same place, consume local products and use public transportation or active.
The island’s hotels, for their part, posted an occupancy rate of 80%, compared to 85% in 2019.
For 2024, a list of major events has already been announced, including the International Skating Union Congress and the Presidents Cup for golfers.