Tourism in Quebec is booming. Last year, Montreal saw the second biggest growth in tourism of any city in Canada. At the same time, Quebec City recorded the most tourists in its history.
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New attractions, like the Grande Roue in Montreal, or Bora Parc in Quebec City, just to name a few, as well as the low Canadian dollar, are drawing more Americans north of the border.
Events like Canada 150 and Montreal’s 375th anniversary attracted more international tourists — and from one market in particular.
“We’re preparing for a lot more Asian tourists in the near future,” said Marie-Julie Couturier, a spokesperson for Quebec City Tourism.
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In 2017, Montreal recorded the largest increase in tourism in the province that had other Quebec cities also reaping the benefits.
“It’s an all-time high. It’s a historical year for Quebec City,” Couturier said. “When people come from so far away, they come into Montreal and usually they come and have a little stay in Quebec City.
Those short stays translated into almost $3 million for Quebec City hotels last year.
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The Forbes Travel Guide has named the Bonne Entente Hotel one of the best in the world, three years running. It’s thriving from an uptick in business travel from Montreal and around the world, even though it’s a good 30 minutes from Old Quebec.
“I do believe… why we see more international clients is because of Expedia booking. Before, people knew three hotels in the old city, like Hilton or Chateau Frontenac, but now they can look at all different kinds of hotels,” said the Bonne Entente director of operations, Johanne Therrien.
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Quebec City tourism is also flourishing from an unexpected influx of Korean visitors due to a popular Korean TV show which takes place in part in the Capitale-Nationale.
“That’s why I wanted to visit here,” said one Korean tourist.