Tourisme Montréal expects 2019 to be a profitable year for the city's tourism industry

10/01/2019 04:00

MONTRÉAL, Jan. 10, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Tourisme Montréal is forecasting that tourism spending in the city will grow 5.6% in 2019, representing $4.75 billion in revenue and 53,000 jobs for the industry as a whole. Meanwhile, tourist numbers are expected to rise 2.4%. Tourism is now one of the primary wealth-generating industries for the province of Québec.

Montréal's positioning as a dynamic international flight hub presents excellent business opportunities for all stakeholders. Thanks to the addition of new direct air connections, Montréal and the entire province are poised to benefit from the potential growth in tourism numbers. Last October, Aéroports de Montréal announced the city's 150th direct flight connection, which promises to increase demand and make it easier for travellers to access the city.

In 2019, Tourisme Montréal plans to step up prospecting initiatives while increasing the city's visibility to boost the conventions market. In addition, it will continue promoting Montréal as a destination through the "Never Grow Up" and "MTL Works for You" communications platforms while refining market intelligence for targeting key segments. The organization will also contribute actively to the development of Montréal as an urban destination by encouraging and supporting innovative projects. New initiatives will be created to enhance the tourist experience in the city. Finally, Montréal will host numerous conferences this year, including the World Summit AI Americas 2019 and the ISMRM 27th Annual Meeting & Exhibition.

"2018 was a prolific year for Montréal's tourism industry. Hats off to the city's hotels, attractions, tourist products and major events, as well as our partners who, once again, helped make Montréal a memorable place to visit. 2019 promises to be just as exciting!" said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

Montréal's tourism industry had an impressive showing in 2018, which arrived on the heels of the city's anniversary festivities in 2017. The main performance indicators for Montréal's tourism sector were:

Overall tourist numbers rose 1.9%.
Montréal received more than 100,000 cruise passengers, an 11% increase over 2017. In total, 127,000 passengers and crew members disembarked in Montréal during 81 stopovers in the Port of Montréal.
On December 19, 2018, Montréal–Trudeau Airport reached a record-breaking milestone by welcoming 19 million passengers in a single year.
According to data collected by the Hotel Association of Greater Montréal, hotels located on the Island of Montréal had an average occupancy rate of 73.4% in 2018. The average daily rate during this period was $185.99, a 0.84% increase over 2017.

About Tourisme Montréal
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 more than 900 companies operating directly or indirectly in the tourism industry, 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. This year, Tourisme Montréal celebrates its 100th anniversary. For more information, go to www.mtl.org.