Montreal attracted 7% more visitors in 2024 than the previous year, indicates the report from Tourisme Montréal which will be revealed this Thursday. The organization estimates that the city will welcome around 11 million visitors in 2024.
Published at 9:00 a.m.
There are a few elements that could explain the increase in the number of tourists who came to Montreal last year. The strength of the American dollar, which has encouraged our neighbors to come and spend in the city, but also the attraction of winter on which Tourism Montréal is banking heavily.
The overall increase, compared to 2023, is 7% and comes from Canadian tourists (an increase of 6%), but especially from American tourists, with an increase of 11%.
We can imagine that the exchange rate has motivated certain travelers to come and take a trip to the metropolis.
And they spent quite a bit.
“Americans are the biggest spenders among international travelers. There was a 9% growth in tourism spending by Americans in 2024,” confides Manuela Goya, vice-president of destination development and public affairs at Tourisme Montréal.
Out of a total of 6 billion in spending by tourists in Montreal in 2024, 1.7 billion is due to Americans.
It’s impossible to know exactly where these travelers are coming from: there is a share of Californians, although the majority are from New England – around 800,000 visitors come from the Northeast of the United States out of a total of 1, 5 million American tourists.
We know that 1.5 million tourists crossed the border by land, but it would be pretentious to say that they all came to Montreal. Part of it certainly took another path, concedes Manuela Goya.
Although we expected the arrival of many Americans, the growth in the number of Chinese travelers was not in Tourisme Montréal’s crystal ball, with growth of 46% despite the absence of a direct connection with Montreal.
“We didn’t expect that,” concedes Manuela Goya, who says that this market will definitely be more on their radar.
Winter fun
In its report, the organization also welcomes the spread of seasons which seems to be a trend that is working better and better.
“We work on the seasonal spread,” confides Manuela Goya. Historically, tourism in Montreal extends from May to September. »
The organization began intensively promoting winter three years ago. He has supported the seduction campaign ever since, promoting the Santa Claus parade to the Montréal en Lumière festival, which attracts a completely different clientele.
In 2019, winter tourism spending was $800 million. We noticed that it has increased and tourism spending is now $1.1 billion, just for winter, this year.
-Manuela Goya, vice-president of destination development and public affairs at Tourisme Montréal
Dominique Villeneuve, CEO of the Greater Montreal Hotel Association, believes that, yes, winter tourism is more popular. However, the data from the start of the year are comparable to those of last year for the hotel sector.
“There is still work to do for the winter period,” she admits.
The sprawl will take place through the very important business niche which attracts delegates here who come to attend conferences, according to her.
“We still had a lot of business events last year,” recalls Dominique Villeneuve. We are talking about 540 events, but it can always be improved, especially during the winter season. »
Occupancy rate
Another trend stands out in this report: the hotel occupancy rate remained stable while the number of rooms increased by 2% out of a total of 23,000 rooms.
Which confirms that many urban travelers still opt for Airbnb-style rentals.
This is true, but there is also stability, or even a decline, in this type of accommodation in Montreal, according to Dominique Villeneuve, who specifies that approximately 15% of travelers opt for alternative accommodation.
“We saw a decrease in this percentage in the Montreal region with the new regulations from the Quebec government,” says Dominique Villeneuve.
In addition, the increase in the price for a night in a private rental often makes the rate comparable to that of a hotel.
“From there, it depends on the traveler’s preference,” she says, “but the hotel remains the first choice for the majority of travelers who come to Montreal. »
According to a Léger survey, commissioned by Tourisme Montréal, 90% of visitors plan to return to visit Montreal.
Learn more
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- 63 %
- Increase in the number of Koreans who visited Montreal in 2024. Tourisme Montréal attributes the increase to a new air link between Montreal and Seoul.
Source: Tourisme Montréal
- 3 %
- Growth, in 2024, in the number of French tourists, compared to the previous year.
Source: Tourisme Montréal
