Montreal’s tourism industry is doing well, according to a new report by Tourism Montréal.
The city welcomed 10.2 million tourists in 2016, up 3.5 per cent over the year prior.
Visitors from the United States alone increased by 9.5 per cent, while overseas arrivals increased by 12.9 per cent. The warmer months proved to be the most enticing: international tourism increased by 17.8 per cent in July, August and September over the same period in 2015.
Those extra visitors amounted to extra tourism spending, too: that rose 5.8 per cent over the same period last year to $3.3 billion.
Tourism Montréal President and CEO Yves Lalumière believes new direct air links, promoting Montreal to the international market and favourable economic conditions have all contributed to the city’s recent tourism success.
Traffic at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport totalled almost 16.6 million passengers last year, up 6.9 per cent from 2015.
Hotels saw a saw bump in occupancy, too. According to the Greater Montreal Hotels Association, the average occupancy rate reached 74.3 per cent in hotels in 2016, up 1.3 percentage points from the previous year. The average room price also increased by 7 per cent to $167.73, so accommodation revenues jumped 7.8 per cent from 2015.
Lalumière said he thinks the tourism forecast looks promising for 2017 with the advent of Montreal’s 375th anniversary.
The organization is forecasting strong growth of tourists from Mexico. Last December alone, the number of Mexican tourist in Quebec jumped 98.7 per cent from December 2015, mainly due to the cancellation of the visa requirement for travellers in the country.
