Montreal sees spike in tourism, summer visits up by 10%
Tourists came for conferences, museums, sports and low loonie
American tourists have once again taken a shine to Montreal, as a new study reveals that visits from American tourists rose by 10 per cent between June and August, over the same period in 2014.
- Tourism Montreal says this spring was the best the city has had in twenty years
- Montreal tourism numbers this spring best in 20 years
- Montreal Grand Prix: Police crack down on sex tourism
The low Canadian dollar gave Americans more bang for the buck, which is always a factor, according to surveys Tourism Montreal conducted with American tourists.
"There's a direct correlation with the foreign exchange," Yves Lalumière, the president and CEO of Tourism Montreal, told CBC last June.
Visitors also see Montreal as a safe and friendly destination in surveys, he noted.
Motorists drove the rise in tourism, as 13 per cent more vehicles entered Quebec through border stops, while air passenger visits were up a more modest four percent over 2014, according to a new Tourism Montreal study.
Hotels thrived, as revenues rose by 9 per cent according to the Hotel Association of Greater Montreal, a hike fuelled by a 86 per cent occupation rate and price increases of five per cent.
Five major conferences, including those of the American Association for Justice and the International Gas Turbine Institute generated about 6,000 visits.
Montreal museums reported an eight per cent rise in visits, as the Rodin exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts attracted over 200,000 visitors, while 124,000 people attended popular exhibits by David Altmejd and Jon Rafman at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal.
The Horst exhibition at the McCord Museum attracted 50,000 visitors while the The Aztecs, People of the Sun, proved popular at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum.
Sporting events, including the The FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 also attracted many out-of-towners.