The year of 2017 is characterized by an outstanding level of traffic for both CTMA and Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine.
The year of 2017 is characterized by an increase of nearly 3% in the overall ferry traffic, for a total of 119,018 passengers - including both visitors and Madelinots. Let's not forget that CTMA Ferry experienced a 7% increase during the summer months of 2016, which represents a 10% increase in total over the last two years.
Given the strong demand, 26 additional crossings were added to the schedule for the summer season of 2017, which represent 7 additional crossings compared to last year. It should be noted that 6 of those crossings took place in June. In total, CTMA Ferry made 13 round trips per week between Cap-aux-Meules and Souris for 5 weeks in a row.
Generating 78% of all visitor entries on the Islands, marine access remains highly popular and demonstrates the importance of Cap-aux-Meules harbour for our industry. From all marine entries, 63% of visitors (for a total of 46,600 entries) came on the ferry, which remains the main gateway to the archipelago.
CTMA Cruises were very busy during the summer season of 2017. In fact, the number of passengers who made a round-trip cruise departing from Montréal or Québec increased by nearly 13%, for a grand total of 4,166 passengers. The ATR recorded 5,180 entries at destination for the summer months of 2017, including all cruise ship passengers.
The greater increase of marine entries is related to international cruise ships with a total of 6,000 passengers coming on the Islands, which represents an increase of 120%. The Îles de la Madeleine welcomed 20 international cruise ships and many tall ships in 2017.
As for airline entries, the ATR now has the exact number of visitors who came to the Islands by plane. We are proud of the trusting relationship developed with all of the airlines, which provides us with data based on the postal codes used for all reservations. Actual airline entries represent 22% of all accesses, which amount to 16,250 entries in 2017 and a 4% increase compared to all adjusted entries in 2016.
In total, 74,000 visitors came to the Îles de la Madeleine in 2017, which represent a 7% increase following the increases of 4% in 2014, 7% in 2015 and 3% in 2016. Therefore, the Islands experienced a 21% increase within the last 4 years, which demonstrates the health of our industry. The months of June and September 2017 were associated with the largest increase, being 6% and 15% respectively.
For the second year in a row, Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine implemented various actions regarding the #fousdesiles online strategy. Thanks to the realization of a 2nd video showcasing the ambassadors (which was posted online), the creation of a dedicated photo contest, the decoration of the information office with an exhibition of photos from the #fousdesiles contest, and the development of promotional tools for all members and visitors, we noted a 262% increase in the use of the hashtag #fousdesiles and an all-time high of more than 10,000 posts on Instagram over the last year.
To increase the promotion of the destination, several contents were shared on Instagram with the hashtags #fousdesiles and they were incorporated into the Tourism website during the summer season.
Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine Website
The Website tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com remains a must for all visitors, whether they want to plan their trip or find useful information once they are on the Islands. We noted:
• a 3% increase in visitors, for a grand total of more than 524,000 visitors (with 59% of visitors coming on the Islands for the first time);
• a 2% increase in online visits, for a total of nearly 863,000 accounts;
• an average increase of 92% in the number of booking requests made through the search engine for lodging from July to October; and
• a 10% increase in the number of accounts originating from the archipelago, for a total of 79,000 accounts.
Tourist Information Office and Official Tourist Guide
The tourist information office experienced a great season, despite the fact that we noted a 7% decrease in the number of welcoming acts. The publication requests from November 2016 to October 2017 amount to 6,120 publications (including 8,554 tourist guides sent by mail), which represent a 37% increase since last year. It should be noted that according to a recent study, the official tourist guide remains the main source of information for more than 70% of visitors.
Visitor Survey Analysis
The analysis of the end-of-stay survey (conducted with more than 2,200 visitors in 2016) reveals some similarities in the profile of summer visitors between 2012 and 2016. Most visitors are still coming from the province of Québec, and the main gateway to the Islands remains the ferry. It should be noted that a higher proportion of visitors living outside of Québec is coming to the Islands by plane. The landscape remains the premier attraction, followed by the healing and peace of mind provided by the archipelago. There are no significant changes in this regard.
Renting a house or a chalet became the prime type of lodging for the visitors coming by plane, no matter where they are from. The analysis reveals that the visitors coming by plane are still the ones who spend the most on the Islands. Interestingly enough, lodging became the highest budget item for the visitors coming with the plane or the ferry, while food was at the top of the list in 2012. Finally, the visitors are very satisfied with their stay on the Islands, and the warm welcome of the Madelinots remains quite impressive and delightful for all.
Highlights of the Business Tendency Survey Conducted with the Members of the ATR
• 68% of interviewees saw an increase in tourism traffic at their business;
• 46% of interviewees saw an increase in tourist expenses;
• 74% of interviewees saw an increase in their sales due to tourism traffic.
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Source for Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine :
Michel Bonato
Directeur général
(418) 986 2245 #225
direction@tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com
Source for CTMA:
Dominique Lapierre
Communication & Marketing
CTMA
(418) 986-6600 poste 265
dominique.lapierre@ctma.ca
