The Hôtel de Glace welcomed its first visitors of the season yesterday with special sanitary measures, while the Omicron variant cools the rest of the industry.
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“There are still a lot of things that are not currently accessible with the restrictions. So we remain open but outside, people want to take a break, ”says Sandra Nadeau, sales manager at Village Vacances Valcartier.
Sanitary measures have been put in place, as in the previous edition, in order to keep the place open to everyone.
The vaccination passport is now compulsory to visit and sleep in the Hotel.
It is also recommended to purchase the ticket online in advance, as capacity is limited.
Wearing a face cover is also required in one-way trips and distancing applies.
In addition, the bar will remain closed for the time being, based on the government’s recommendation.
The outdoor space has been enhanced by fireplaces where visitors can warm up and extend their visit.
“We tried to decorate […] so people can stay a little bit longer after the tour is over, but all outside. That way there is also less danger in terms of propagation, ”explains Ms. Nadeau.
Customers will be able to sleep at the Hotel from January 2, and a few hundred tickets have already been sold for the day.
Slow motion
“The Hôtel de Glace is a major attraction in Quebec in winter. It is unique in America. […] But unfortunately, we expect that there will not really be an international clientele this winter, ”indicates Éric Bilodeau, director of communications at Destination Québec cited.
Winter advertising campaigns for Quebec and Ontario are regularly postponed, to avoid attracting cases here.
“The priority is to respect the sanitary instructions. That is to say, do not multiply contacts, do not do it on purpose to attract crowds, ”he explains.
The rest of the tourism industry still operates at an irregular pace, with very low occupancy rates.
The organization that promotes tourism in the Quebec City region observes hotel occupancy of nearly 45% in the city center.
But Mr. Bilodeau is reassured, since the government of Quebec has still not announced a curfew. “For now, it’s a little better than last year at this date,” he said.