More Quebecers on European getaways, Gaspesie top local destination: survey
The annual construction holiday kicks off this Sunday and runs until Aug. 5. This summer, more Quebecers will be travelling to Europe, even though the majority will be vacationing in the province, according to a survey conducted by CAA-Quebec.
Quebec's construction commission reports nearly 80 per cent of workers and employers in the construction industry will be on vacation during this period. Most construction sites will also suspend their activities.
According to a CAA-Quebec survey on Quebecers' vacation intentions, 28 per cent will take a break from work during the construction holiday. New this year: more people will be travelling to Europe.
In 2022, 65 per cent of vacationers planned to spend their free time in Quebec, compared with 57 per cent this year.
"This is simply because European destinations are back in popularity this year. Also, the proportion of travellers who will travel by air has also increased. It was 15 per cent in 2022, rising to 22 per cent this year," explains David Marcille, communications advisor at CAA-Quebec.
While 9 per cent of survey respondents planned to vacation in the U.S., 16 per cent anticipated going to a country other than Canada and the U.S., which is an increase compared to 2022. Of this 16 per cent, 9 per cent were planning to go to Europe.
EUROPE RECOVERING FROM PANDEMIC
"Then the third year when people might have wanted to go back, there was the conflict in Ukraine which happened just as people were booking, so it still put a big chill on travellers going to Europe. But they're picking up again this year," says David Marcille.
The most popular regions for vacationers staying in Quebec are Gaspésie, followed by Quebec City, then the Eastern Townships and Charlevoix, which are tied, and the Lower St. Lawrence.Northern gannets dive for fish near Perce Rock just after sunrise in Perce, Quebec, Canada, on Sept. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A number of climatic events have, however, left their mark on the province in recent months, for example, the flooding in the Charlevoix region this spring.
"We certainly felt the after-effects of the floods in the few weeks following May. We felt, especially in Baie-Saint-Paul, that things were pretty slow," says Mitchell Dion, general manager of Tourisme Charlevoix.
SQ CALLING FOR CAUTION
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) is reminding the public to be cautious on the roads during the construction holiday. The police force "will intensify its interventions from July 21 to August 6," it announced in a press release.
Police officers will be more present on roads, trails and bodies of water.
"The construction vacation period represents a time of year when the number of collisions causing fatalities and injury is particularly high. In 2022, during the same period, 12 people lost their lives in 11 fatal collisions on the road network," the SQ stated in the same release.
CAA-Quebec also points out that the period between Quebec's Fête nationale and Labour Day represents the 75 deadliest days of the year on Quebec roads, and therefore urges drivers to be cautious.
"According to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec's (SAAQ) 2022 road report, 116 people lost their lives (in) fatal collisions between Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Labour Day. This represents almost a third of all fatalities for a full year," said CAA-Quebec in its press release.
This report was written with the financial assistance of the Meta Bourse and The Canadian Press for news.
This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on July 21, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING NEWS Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Kamala Harris to be Democratic nominee
U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for re-election after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office with the election just four months away. It was a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.
What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work
With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.
Justin Trudeau reacts to Joe Biden announcing he won't run for re-election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'
Harris, endorsed by Biden, could become first woman, second Black person to be U.S. president
Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major U.S. party presidential ticket after U.S. President Joe Biden abruptly ended his re-election bid and endorsed her.
Read Biden's full text announcing the end to his re-election campaign
U.S. President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump. He announced his decision in a letter posted on social media. Read the full text.
The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified
NEW YORK (AP) — Officials on Sunday released the name of a pilot who died in a skydiving flight after her passengers jumped from the aircraft near the Niagara Falls.
LCBO workers ratify tentative agreement, strike ends Monday
The union representing 10,000 workers at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has ratified a tentative agreement, which will officially end its two-week strike at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Joy in Newfoundland after 'Lucky 7' fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
There was a powerful word being repeated in the joyful Newfoundland community of New-Wes-Valley on Sunday: 'Miracle.'
A 12-year-old girl is accused of smothering her younger cousin over an iPhone
A 12-year-old girl in Tennessee has been charged with murder, accused of smothering her eight-year-old cousin as the younger girl slept. A relative said they had been arguing over an iPhone.