This year, the theme of the 9th edition of the Journée annuelle de l'industrie touristique (Annual Tourism Industry Day), is "A close look at the archipelago : What are the results?". Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine chose this occasion to reveal the results of their review of the 2010 tourist season.
Analysis of the data from the www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com Internet site shows that the destination is still drawing many Internet users. The 400 000 hits on the web site this year represent a significant increase of 11% for 2010. Search engines have been of great importance in directing Internet users to the Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine website. The Association's Facebook page, with its 3,189 fans, is at the top of the "hit parade" for Québec tourist regions.
Overall analysis of the data shows a change in the way visitors acquire information and plan their trips. The tendency is towards much greater use of websites, both for planning a trip and while at the chosen destination. The number of e-mail requests for information increased by 56% from 2009 to 2010. Publication of the official Îles de la Madeleine Tourist Guide on line has made it much easier for Internet users to get information about the destination.
Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine is currently collaborating with Groupe CTMA to restructure the Association's on-line reservation procedure. This project is part of the ACCORD strategy, and it will make on-line reservations much more efficient by combining lodging and transportation. It should be noted that the existing lodgings search engine generated 100,000 inquiries this year with establishments that are members of the tourism association.
The new Tourist Information Bureau saw about the same number of visitors as in 2009, with more than 17,000 registered between May and October 2010. A majority of clients (75%) coming to the Islands prefer to take the ferry from Souris, PEI. With 50,300 visitors in 2010, the destination has once again gone over the 50,000 mark, staying within the average for the last ten years.
A significant number of tourists (1,535) responded to the post-visit Visitor Questionnaire, which is an excellent tool for evaluating client expectations and planning marketing campaigns. This questionnaire is available on line and will allow us to update the visitor profile on an annual basis and compile data as to how tourists are coming to the Islands (plane, ferry, cruise), the average length of their stay and how much money they spend while at the destination.
The Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine team is pleased with these results and hopes that the positive effects will be felt by its members.
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Source :
Marie-Christine LeBlanc
Marketing Agent
Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine
418-986-2245 extension 227
