Montreal had a very good 2017 when it came to tourism, according to the latest report from Tourisme Montreal.
The city welcomed 11.1 million tourists, an incrase of 5.1 per cent over 2016. Revenue from tourism went up 9.7 per cent, to $4 billion.
Visits from overseas were up 11 per cent from the year prior. According to the Cofnerence Board of Canada, visits from France went up nine per cent while those from China went up 33 per cent.
Tourists entering the country from the United States by plane increased by 11.9 per cent while total traffic through Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport was at 18.2 million people, a jump of 9.5 per cent from 2016.
The Hotel Association of Greater Montreal said occupancy was also up over the previous year, with an occupancy rate of 76.5 per cent.
Business tourism also saw jumps, with more than 380,000 confirmed overnight stays, up 15 per cent.
Tourisme Montreal President and CEO Yves Lalumiere said 2017 was a springboard year for Montreal’s international outreach and called tourism one of the hottest sectors of the city’s economy. He cited several reasons for the good numbers, including several new direct air routes.
The organization is predicting even more visitors in 2018, with a forecast of 11.6 million tourists and revenue of $4.3 billion.
