November 19, 2019, Îles de la Madeleine - The traffic data relating to the summer season, from May to October 2019, indicate a 5% increase. In total, 67,900 visitors made the trip to the archipelago between the months of May and October 2019, as opposed to 64,800 visitors in the summer of 2018.

The data provided by the carriers take into account the postal codes, thus excluding the movements of all residents. Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine would like to thank CTMA, Air Canada and Pascan aviation for sharing these data.

For the summer of 2019, these data indicate a slight 1% increase in marine entries (both with the ferry and Vacancier) and a higher 12% increase in air entries. The increases recorded in 2018 during the off-season months were maintained and even a little higher for the month of June. The months of July and August remain very popular among visitors.

The lower airfares towards the destination, the addition of an extra flight operated by Air Canada and the increase in travel for business purposes and by the workers taking part in the ongoing major projects all contributed to the increase in air entries.

The ferry traffic experienced a slight 1% increase over the whole summer season. Once again, the Vacancier had an amazing fully booked season, which demonstrates that cruising the St. Lawrence to get to Islands remains a highly attractive experience for visitors.

Escale Îles de la Madeleine also reported great results for the 2019 summer season in their review.

According to the survey conducted by the ATR in late summer 2019, most tourism businesses experienced a 5 to 20% increase in traffic and sales. With an average length of stay of nine nights at the destination (the highest average in Québec), approximately $56M is spent by visitors on the Islands during the summer, thus creating direct economic benefits of roughly $94M.

Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine is very pleased to note that the tourism industry, along with the fishing industry, played an important role in the remarkable growth in terms of average per capita income on the Islands. Tourism remains an essential line of business for the diversity and quality of the services and recreational activities offered on the Islands.

The Tourist Information Desk experienced a 12% increase in welcoming acts during the summer of 2019, thus welcoming over 11,000 people. The implementation of a computer-based input system for the data gathered from visitors during the welcoming acts will allow for even more accurate comparative data in 2020.

As for website traffic from May to October, the 319,232 users made for a 4.91% increase, including 6.86% of new users. The data demonstrate that 24% of the website traffic comes from smartphones.

The ATR's mission is to gather its members and the community to facilitate the welcoming, promotion and tourism development, which all need to be aligned with the local people and environment. It also aims to offer visitors an authentic and high-quality experience.

To better achieve this mission, Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine will soon undertake a broad consultation process involving both the members of the industry and the socioeconomic organizations of the archipelago in order to establish the 2020-2025 development and promotion strategy of the destination. Consultations with the population will also be undertaken in partnership with the Communauté maritime des Îles-de-la-Madeleine. A meeting with the ATR's Board of Directors and the Communauté maritime's elected representatives will also be held.

These consultations will undoubtedly confirm the challenges coming our way. The issues surrounding the workforce, the expansion of the season, the sustainable development and the high-quality experiences offered to visitors will most certainly be on the agenda. These consultations will also allow for the creation of the action plan for the next tourism development policy framework.

About Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine

Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine comprises about 330 tourism businesses located on the archipelago, and its primary mandate is to increase the outreach of the Islands' tourism industry. Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine also plays a leadership role in welcoming tourists and providing them with information, promoting the sustainable development of the archipelago and marketing the region as a tourist destination.

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Source :
Michel Bonato
Director
Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine
(418) 986 2245 ext. 225
direction@tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com