Tourisme Montréal celebrates 100 years of promoting the city

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 8, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Tourisme Montréal marks its 100th anniversary today as it celebrates a century of uniting the city's key tourism stakeholders. The organization was the driving force behind many major projects, including the creation of the Entertainment District and the construction of the Palais des congrès. It has consistently supported Montréal's economic and cultural interests, along with the major international events that have elevated the city's status on the world stage, such as Expo 67 and the 1976 Olympic Games.

On October 8, 1919, the Automobile Club of Canada (the predecessor of CAA-Québec) founded the Tourist Bureau of Montreal with support from the municipal government, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal and several big names in local industry. The mission of the new organization was to promote Montréal and its road network in order to develop tourism. That same year, some 18,105 cars brought tourists into Québec.*

One hundred years later, Montréal welcomes more than 11 million tourists annually from all around the world, bringing in more than $4.5 billion* in tourist spending and supporting 57,000 jobs. Tourism is now one of the most profitable industries in the city.

"This anniversary is an opportunity for us to thank our 1,000 members and everyone who has contributed directly and indirectly to Tourisme Montréal's success in the past century. We're proud of our history and already looking ahead to a bright future for Montréal. I'd also like to thank our employees and board members for their unwavering dedication and hard work," said Yves Lalumière, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal.

Following a century of operating as a private, non-profit and fully independent organization, Tourisme Montréal has earned a strong reputation for skillfully promoting Montréal as a destination to leisure and business travellers. As an active community member and innovator, Tourisme Montréal plans to continue developing its role as a promotional agency. It aims to attract 13.5 million visitors per year by 2022, which is two million more than in 2019 and represents and annual increase of 6%.

"Tourisme Montréal plays a crucial role in promoting the destination and helping the Palais attract major conventions," said Robert Mercure, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Palais des congrès de Montréal. "Montréal's success in the business travel market is thanks in large part to the excellent teamwork between our organizations and partners such as the Hotel Association of Greater Montréal and Quebec universities. As Tourisme Montréal marks its 100th anniversary, we're celebrating its widely recognized expertise and highlighting the organization's many achievements, which generate substantial economic benefits for the city and the province as a whole."

Today, Tourisme Montréal's colours are being projected on the Olympic Stadium's tower in recognition of the team working at the Olympic Park. "More than ever, Tourisme Montréal is committed to working closely with its partners and is steadfast in its belief that Montréal is not only the gateway to Quebec, but it is on its way to becoming one of North America's leading tourist destinations," concluded Yves Lalumière.

The annual programming for Tourisme Montréal's 100th anniversary celebrations is made possible by support from the following partners: Aéroports de Montréal (YUL), Air Canada, Casino de Montréal, Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal, Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), Palais des congrès de Montréal, the Port of Montréal, lg2 and Salles de Bal Le Windsor.

About Tourisme Montréal
Established in 1919, Tourisme Montréal is a private, non-profit organization that works to position Montréal as an international-calibre leisure and business travel destination. The organization leads innovative tourist welcome strategies with a twofold objective: ensuring that visitors enjoy a quality experience and maximizing the economic benefits of tourism. Uniting nearly 1000 tourism professionals, Tourisme Montréal plays a leading role in the management and development of Montréal's tourism business, and makes recommendations on issues surrounding the city's economic, urban and cultural development. For more information, go to www.mtl.org.

* Statistics from the Department of Highways and Mines
* Statistics Canada
Technical data sheet: Tourisme Montréal's Proud History

SOURCE Tourisme Montréal