Tourism | Notable decline in American travelers

The Quebecers who were sulking the east coast, from Vermont to Florida, and all of the United States for their holidays. The political context has also cooled the ardor of the Americans who have been less numerous to cross the Canadian border to come and spend their holidays with us.

Montreal calculates a decline of 7 % compared to last year. In Quebec, the surf is more marked: an estimated drop between 8 % and 10 %, for this first half of summer.

“What was expected to happen,” admits the CEO of Tourisme Montréal, Yves Lalumière.

The organization publishes its mid-season report this Tuesday, August 12. Tourisme Montréal announces a “stable” summer because the number of Canadians is up in town and because the months of August and September are very popular with international tourists.

The decline is not trivial, underlines Marc-Antoine Vachon, holder of the Tourist Chair Transat Esg Uqam.

“At the economic level, the problem is that even if tourist expenses reached the same level [que l’année dernière]from a macroeconomic angle, it is the same money circulating, he says. Canadian money remains in Canada. »»

Montreal welcomed many visitors to the Atlantic provinces: 15 % more than last year, which was an excellent year for tourism. Tourisme Montréal calculates that there will be 11 million visitors here this year, in total, and that they will spend $ 6.3 billion. Data comparable to that of last year.

If there is no increase in total expenses, despite inflation, it is partly because American tourists are also more spending, notes Marc-Antoine Vachon. If they are witnessing an event, they will buy the most expensive and generous tickets for their expenses on site.

“At the start of the year, we expected to return to tourism in tourism in Quebec,” said Marc-Antoine Vachon. The decline is therefore all the more brutal, even if we had seen it coming following the turbulence of the last months.

“This year, we expected a growth of 2.9 % of tourism in Quebec,” added the professor, about tourists of all origins. This forecast will not be reached.

A predictable drop

American customers also lack Montreal hoteliers.

“This is not the best of summer …”, says Dominique Villeneuve, CEO of the Grand Montreal hotel association. “We see the drop in American tourists. It feels. »»

And how does it feel?

“American tourists often favor hotels,” says Dominique Villeneuve. Quebecers and Canadians are there, which is delighted, but does it come 100 % compensate for the drop in American tourists? Not quite. »»

In a survey carried out with potential American customers, Tourisme Montréal notes that around 25 % of Americans fear that they are not well received if they come to spend their holidays here, in the current context.

Before summer, the Montreal organization had predicted a drop in American tourists in the city, but a little less important than that calculated. The lowest scenario predicted a decline of 5 %.

Yves Lalumière believes that it is probably towards this that the city goes, since hotel reservations are up for the next two months and that Americans like to travel during this period.

All this calculated, the CEO of Tourisme Montréal says it is “relatively happy” from the balance sheet, since there is also a drop in air supply for links between the United States and Montreal. The stable hotel occupancy rate is good news, according to him.

About half of American tourists visit Montreal come by land. “This is where it hurts,” says Yves Lalumière, who adds that bad weather in June had a big impact on this local market.

Despite everything, the major events of the metropolis which took place in this first half of the summer season were very popular, recalls Tourisme Montréal. “We had great performances from the Grand Prix, Osheaga and Tennis (Omnium National Bank), which have all experienced records. And it’s still special, adds Yves Lalumière, because we had a good year in 2024. ”Note: more than 60 % of Osheaga participants came from outside.

According to Tourisme Montréal, the three main reasons that bring travelers to the city are culture, urban well-being and gastronomy. The organization also notes a Michelin effect, restaurants having received a star being particularly popular with a local clientele, but also gourmet tourists.

Quebec

Quebec, which received a rain of stars (Michelin) in the spring, also sees a decline Important in its American customers, but an increase in the number of Quebec tourists.

“After a historic summer 2024, we knew that expectations would be high, despite the situation with the United States. Data to date confirm that the large Quebec region continues to deliver satisfactory tourism performance […] “, Said Philippe Caron, of Destination Québec Cited, in the mid-season of the organization, published last week.

As in Montreal, Quebec welcomes a occupancy rate comparable to that of last year in hotels. According to Destination Quebec Cited, this is partly explained by “Last-minute reservations from Intra-Québec and Ontario [qui] Complete the slight drop in American tourists. »»

It remains to be seen if this change of habit is permanent and if Canadians and Quebecers will continue to travel more locally and the Americans continue to visit us less when the political climate lives an upturn.

The call for the trip is strong, recalls the holder of the Tourist Tourist Chair.

“We are addicted to travel,” says Marc-Antoine Vachon who specifies that it is generally the tourist pie that is growing. If part of Quebecers continued to travel to Quebec after the pandemic, they also resumed travel. Forecasts of global tourism go in this direction, he says, because it becomes a priority in our budget.

“People, concludes Marc-Antoine Vachon, are only traveling!” »»