Stakes are high to make festival season a success this summer, says a business leader
A leader in Montreal's business community says certain factors threaten to throw a wrench into this year's festival season.
Chiefly among them is a labour shortage.
"It's really hard to maintain, especially for festivals, those very highly skilled technicians that make all that magic come true for festivalgoers," said Glenn Castanheira, executive director of Downtown Montreal Merchants' Association on Saturday.
Castanheira says all hands must be on deck, especially as the city looks to bounce back from the pandemic.
He says 2019 was a record year for tourism, with over 11 million tourists. In 2022, there were 8.5 million. This year, the city is on track to surpass its pre-pandemic record by welcoming 9.5 million tourists.
"Seeing that we have the same level of occupancy in hotels, yet we have more hotels today than we had in 2019, which indicates that were having more people in our city," he said, citing the return of international tourists, who were previously kept out by covid travel restrictions.
Ensuring the influx of tourists have a good time when they arrive is paramount, says Castanheira. And he says the stakes are even higher this year because of inflation.
"We know that people are making financial sacrifices. That discretionary expense of choosing to come to downtown Montreal for their vacation and time off is something we don't take lightly," he said.
Castanheira is also encouraging Montrealers to be a tourist in their own city this summer.
"People are crossing oceans and continents to discover our city. You can cross a river and check it out for yourself."
FESTIVAL SNAPSHOT
Montreal's jam-packed schedule for summer festivals is well underway. Here is a partial list of what you can expect:
- Francos de Montreal ( June 9 to 17)
- MURAL Festival (June 8 to 18)
- St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival (May 29 to June 18)
- Formula 1 Grand Prix (June 16 to 18)
- Montreal International Jazz Festival (June 29 to July 8)
- Festival sur le Canal (June 16 to 18)
- L'International des Feux Loto-Quebec-Fireworks festival (Several dates between June 29 and August 10)
- Just for Laughs (July 14 to 29)
- Osheaga Music and Arts Festival (August 4 to 6)
- Montreal Pride (August 3 to 13)
- LASSO (August 18 to 19)
-With files from CTV's Amanda Kline
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Already expensive, planning for fertility treatment difficult as costs vary widely
Being unable to have a child naturally can be extremely difficult. But when you factor in the high costs of fertility treatments, the range of individual circumstances and the fact that the industry itself is secretive about fees, it can make the whole ordeal even more devastating and hard to plan for.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.