Launched in the midst of a pandemic at the end of 2021, Club Med Québec Charlevoix has experienced its first winter season in recent months without the threat of the virus. However, the benefits for the region’s economy are yet to come, according to several traders.
Stéphane Coutu, the owner of the Épicerie du village, in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, candidly admits: “It changed very little for us”.
Unlike the workers who were numerous to get supplies in his store during the construction phase, the clientele of the recreational tourism center seems more discreet.
“We do not see them, the world. They arrive I don’t know how, by bus or I don’t know what, but they don’t get out. There are some who take walks in the village,” he said.
“Modest” effect
In Baie-Saint-Paul, Stéphane Bouchard, co-owner of the Iris art galleries, describes the Club Med effect as “modest” so far. “But we still have a lot of hope” on this player, “an absolutely extraordinary business card” for Charlevoix, he believes.
According to him, “it has not been a very good winter” in terms of tourism if we compare to the euphoria of intra-Quebec travel during the pandemic. However, he is convinced that “it would have been worse without Club Med”, saying that we are already seeing “quietly” more international tourists.
Pierre Couturier, of Top location Charlevoix, a snowmobile rental company in La Malbaie, speaks on the contrary of an exceptional winter, but not really because of Club Med. “I had customers, but not in industrial quantities, it’s not the Klondike.”
Long term benefits
According to the general manager of the Charlevoix Chamber of Commerce, the business community did not have high expectations in terms of direct benefits anyway, because of the “captive clientele” that characterizes Club Med, known for “all-inclusive” formulas.
“It’s more long-term benefits on the knowledge of the region by foreigners” that are hoped for, explains Johanne Côté, pointing to the vast global network of the French brand.
Michaël Pilote, mayor of Baie-Saint-Paul, believes that it is too early to draw conclusions, even if he also “hears” the observations made by certain merchants. “Club Med, nevertheless, adds a certain visibility of the region and of Baie-Saint-Paul on international markets,” he underlines.
It was not possible to speak with a Club Med spokesperson before going to press.
