Tourism | Revenge of the cities

Shunned for two years by travelers who have preferred the tranquility (and safety) of wide open spaces, the cities with their museums, restaurants, theatres, shows and festivals fall in the eye of holidaymakers, many of whom are protesting these days. a renewed interest in urban tourism.

Simon Chabot
The Press

Fancy a long weekend in New York or rediscovering Paris? You’re not the only one thinking about it as border restrictions ease. “Since the federal government announced that a rapid test does the trick for returning to the country, many customers have contacted us,” rejoices Alain Pilon, owner of the Tourika travel agency, which specializes in three and four day packages in New York.

For the moment, however, Tourika is waiting before resuming its activities, interrupted since March 2020. “Even a quick test is a lot of trouble for a short stay, specifies Mr. Pilon. But we believe that the federal government will soon be satisfied with proof of vaccination to cross the border. And there, we expect strong growth, reservations as before the pandemic. People are impatient…”

New York looks set to welcome tourists in droves over the next few months. Masks are now optional at the top of the Empire State Building. Art lovers can visit dozens of new exhibitions, including those dedicated to Jean-Michel Basquiat (at the Starrett-Lehigh Building), Henri Matisse (at the MoMA) and Virgil Abloh (at the Brooklyn Museum). Broadway programs big headliners (Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, etc.). Daniel Boulud is working on the upcoming reopening, under a new name, of the Augustine restaurant at the Beekman Hotel. And the New York tourism promotion agency announces 9,000 new hotel rooms this year.

European cities are popular

The travel planning application Hopper, for its part, has observed a marked resurgence of interest in spring breaks in European cities. London, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona have all climbed, and not just a little, in the ranking of the most popular destinations for its customers.

According to recent projections by the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, international arrivals are expected to increase by 540% in April and March compared to last year, to reach just over half of pre-pandemic levels. The largest expected increase is for travelers from North America.

Moreover, according to Expedia, “the number of weekly reservations [faites à Paris par des Canadiens] was multiplied by five” in mid-February, compared to the first week of the year, and a quarter of current bookings for the French capital on the travel platform are aimed at next July.

On site, cultural life has resumed and Parisian museums, which have also experienced a sharp drop in attendance over the past two years, are busy attracting visitors. The Cluny Museum, dedicated to the Middle Ages, will reopen its doors this spring after major renovations. The Musée d’Orsay is also presenting masterpieces from the Frick Collection this spring. Yves Saint Laurent, whose first fashion show took place 60 years ago, will be honored in six museums, including the Louvre and the Center Pompidou, until September. Also, the Rock en Seine festival will take place over four days in August, with performances by Stromae, Tame Impala and Arctic Monkeys.

Montreal also wants to take advantage of the windfall

Epicenter of the pandemic in the country, Montreal does not seem to be outdone for the next few months. According to Hopper, the Quebec metropolis has moved up nearly 20 places on the list of cities that arouse the most interest among international travelers this spring, and is now at 35^and rank, behind Toronto (24^and), but ahead of Vancouver (39^and).

Relaxation of measures, resumption of air links: for Tourisme Montréal, the positive signals are multiplying in view of the summer, even if “uncertainty has become a certainty”, explains spokesperson Francis Bouchard.

Even if the last few months have been difficult, Montreal gastronomy remains a major attraction, believes Mr. Bouchard, who also underlines the importance of the increasingly likely return of major summer festivals in the metropolis. “Everyone is ready to step on the accelerator for a good summer,” he says.

“With a schedule of relief measures, we know that we will find a certain normality for the summer”, explains with relief Martin Roy, CEO of the Regroupement des events majors internationales (REMI), where most of the festivals meet. Montrealers, including Osheaga, which unveiled a complete lineup for the weekend of July 29 to 31.

“We need to be able to bring together at least 60,000 or 80,000 people to attract headliners and generate enough revenue,” continues Mr. Roy. We now know that the number of cases drops in the summer, that reassures us. »

And foreign tourists? It really depends on the next federal announcements, says Jean-Sébastien Boudreault, CEO of the Greater Montreal Hotel Association (AHGM). “If we don’t want to miss the summer of 2022, we will have to remove the border tests,” he says. This obligation is a sword of Damocles for visitors, who are less inclined to make reservations. »

Still, the mood is hopeful in the hospitality industry, although everyone is aware that a new variant can still derail everything. “The mood has changed, and everyone wants to work on recovery. Already, with the first deconfinement measures until March 14, we have seen our reservations increase by 50%. But we are starting from afar, the occupancy rate among our members was only 8% before this announcement. It’s nothing ! »