In anticipation of the summer vacation, the Côte-Nord is preparing to welcome tourists eager for outdoor activities and the great outdoors.
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However, the authorities fear overflows such as those in the summer of 2020, in the Gaspé. “We will try to facilitate their stay, to direct them to the most suitable places,” said Luc Noël, prefect of the municipality of Minganie.
For their part, entrepreneurs from the North Shore say they are hooked for the summer season. The relaxations of the measures allow more latitude.
“We had to install a whole system last year, but now things are going well,” said Brigitte Lemay, director of Auberge Internationale Le Tendon at TVA Nouvelles.
More than 11% of holidaymakers said they wanted to visit the region. With an average budget of $ 727 per person, Quebecers plan several activities in their Nordic stay: hiking, camping, beach and family reunions.
Traditional accommodations such as hotels and motels expect to decline in popularity. While for campgrounds and outfitters, it is the opposite. Owners expect their popularity to skyrocket.
Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean: second most popular region for Quebecers for their vacations
Valerie Fortin
Tourists will be numerous this summer in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean, according to a CAA-Quebec survey on Quebecers’ vacation intentions.
The region comes in second place, after the Capitale-Nationale (including Charlevoix), in the destinations chosen by vacationers in Quebec.
The results of this survey come as no surprise to those in the tourism industry who are expecting an exceptional year.
“We are heading towards a visitor record for this year. Last year was already a record … We see that it is a lot of intra-Quebec, people of Montérégie, the region of Quebec, Montreal ”, indicated the general manager of the Resort and Dame-en-Terre d’Alma campsite, Mathieu Brassard.
The 280 sites of Camping Dame-en-Terre are already full for most of the summer. The same goes for the Auberge des Îles in Saint-Gédéon.
“I would have 20 more rooms, I would have rented them … We even have waiting lists if there are any cancellations,” said Éric Larouche, owner of the Auberge des Îles, located on the edge. from Lac Saint-Jean.
Owner of a hotel in downtown Chicoutimi Éric Larouche notes that resort accommodation is much more popular.
This is also indicated by the CAA-Quebec survey: enthusiasm is very important for nature-type accommodation, such as campsites, outfitters and cabins, to the detriment of more traditional accommodation such as hotels.
“Festivals, events, there are less things in urban centers, so people have less interest,” he explained.
In tourist attractions, such as the Zoo sauvage de Saint-Félicien, we also expect good traffic. We are already enjoying a better start to the season than last year.
According to the CAA-Quebec survey, 83% of Quebecers plan to spend their vacation in the province this year compared to 77% in 2020.
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