Annual Survey of Leisure Visitors to Montreal 2010 Executive Summary

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1 Annual Survey of Leisure Visitors to Montreal 2010 Executive Summary Tourism Montréal Research Department

2 Survey Objectives Create a profile of travellers who have visited Montréal as part of a pleasure trip. Find out their perceptions and measure their level of satisfaction regarding various components of their stay in Montréal. Track performance indicators throughout the year in order to compare seasonal results. Do a comparative assessment of indicators that looks at different periods and groups. Methodology We conducted an online survey of tourists 18 years and up who had spent two nights or more in Montréal as part of a pleasure trip in These tourists were chosen using the following methods: they were approached at tourist information offices or Montréal hotels and attractions, on-site at various major Montréal events or tourist sites or contacted via Tourism Montréal website s transactional database. There were a total of 2,895 respondents to the online survey, with a margin of error of 2%. 2

3 Overview of trips to Montréal Note that the overview presented here reflects the leisure travellers who completed the survey. The survey excludes travellers who spent one night or less in Montréal. 9 of survey respondents were travelling independently rather than with an organized group. The average group size was 2.7 people and was comprised primarily of couples especially for Canadian and American visitors or friends. Group Composition My partner 43% Friends/collea gues Alone without child(ren) My partner and child(ren) Alone with child(ren) Other 24% 14% 10% 2% 7% Q23. Which of the following options best describes the people you travelled with on your trip to Montréal? One out of two respondents had made only one pleasure trip to Montréal during the past 5 years. Québec residents were naturally more frequent visitors to Montréal: 72% of them had made 5 or more trips to Montréal in the past 5 years (vs. 29% of overall respondents). The trips are short, typically lasting no more than 2 or 3 nights. As is to be expected, the further tourists travel to get here, the longer they stay. The following overrepresentations were noted: Visitors from outside Canada and the United States stayed 8 nights or more; Visitors from Canada (excluding those from Québec) and the United States stayed 4 to 7 nights; Residents of Québec and Ontario stayed 2 to 3 nights. In general, survey respondents made longer trips during the summer months than at any other time of the year. Tourism numbers are also highest during the summer months. 3

4 Leisure travellers place of origin varied considerably depending on the season. The following overrepresentations weree noted : o From January to March: Québec and Eastern Canada o May: Ontario and Eastern Canada o August: Europe (such as France) o November/December: Ontario and United States Survey respondents stayed primarily: o In 3- or 4-star hotels, especially Canadians and Americans o With family/friends, especially Québecers o Visitorss from Europe showed more variety in their accommodation choices Type of Accommodation Hotel/ inn 4 stars or more 30% Family/friends Hotel/innn 3 stars 25% 24% Youth hostel 8% Hotel/inn 2 stars or less Bed & Breakfast Apartment hotel Private apartment rental Other 5% Q13. In what type of accommodation did you stay during your trip to Montréal? 4

5 Breakdown of Visit The most frequently visited sites are: o Old Port of Montréal o Mount Royal Park o Plateau Mont-Royal o Chinatown o Notre Dame Basilica Tourism Sites and Attractions Visited Old Port of Montréal Mount Royal Park Plateau Mont-Royal Chinatown Notre Dame Basilica Eaton Centre Olympic Stadium Botanical Garden Gay Village Museum of Fine Arts Saint Joseph s Oratory Biodôme Science Centre Casino Pointe-à-Callière Museum Bell Centre (for a show) La Ronde (amusement park) Insectarium Planetarium Bell Centre (for a sporting event) None of the above 52% 51% 49% 45% 34% 28% 25% 24% 21% 19% 1 13% 12% 9% 9% 8% 4% 3% 80% Q19. Which of the following tourist attractions or sites did you visit during your stay in Montréal? In general, the further tourists travel to get here, the more sites and attractions they visit. Once here, respondents reported finding the informationn they needed online (54%) or in tourist guides such as maps or brochures (51%). They travelled primarily by metro (68%). 5

6 45% of survey respondents reported having visited other regions during their stay, especially visitors from outside Canada and the United States. The Québec City area was by far the most popular one visited by respondents during their stay. Did you visit places (regions/cities) other than Montréal during your stay? 55% 45% Yes No What other Québec region(s) did you visit during your stay? Québec City areaa Laurentians North Shore- Saguenay Lac-St-Jean Mauricie Charlevoix Laval Lower Saint Outaouais Gaspésie Eastern Townshipss Central Québec Montérégie Chaudière-Appalaches Lanaudière Other regions No region Does not know 22% 18% 17% 14% 14% 14% 9% 9% 8% 7% 7% 4% 3% 2% 3% 12% 4% n= % n=1553 6

7 Trip Planning Word-of-mouth is a good source of information and inspiration for tourist destinations. However, the Internet is still the best tool for planning, organizing and making reservations/purchases for a trip to Montréal. Main Source of Information Internet 57% Transaction Method Friends/family 20% Tourist pamphlets, brochures Internet: booking or purchase online Travel/vacation guides Telephone, call centre Travel agent Newspapers/magazines Other 8% 5% 3% 3% 1% 4% 68% Telephone, call centre: reservation through an agent 21% Travel agency 8% No reservation 14% Other 4% On average, trip planning started between 30 and 50 days prior to departure. Trips with several destinations were planned further in advance, while those with only one (Montréal) took less time to plan. Québecers live closer to Montréal and therefore took less time to plan this type of trip. After the trip, travellers once again used word-of-mouth to share their travel experiences and inspire others to visit Montréal, but they also used the Internet and especially Facebook. 7

8 Overall Satisfaction with Trip Montréal received an excellent satisfaction rating of 8.5/ /10. In fact, this rating has been going up steadily since Visitors from Canada (excluding those from Québec), the United States and elsewhere in America are especially satisfied. Overall Satisfaction with Trip 60% 50% 40% 40% 44% 49% 54% 52% 4 30% 20% 10% 5% 5% 0% 9 and 10 7 and 8 0 to Q25. Overall, how would you rate your stay in Montréal on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 = very bad and 10 = excellent? 8

9 Another indicator of the city s healthy tourism industry is the intention to recommend Montréal. Already high in previous years, this indicator reached new heights in Intention to Recommend 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 87% % Definitely 20% 16 % 12% Probably 2% 2% 1% Probably not 1% 10% 0% Does not know Q29. Would you recommend Montreal as a destination to friends or family? 9

10 Finally, the intention of all travellers from all markets to return to Montréal in the next 5 years has been growing since Although this trend has been felt across the board, certain markets (such as the US one) have been showing especially strong growth in this area. Intention to Return 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 87% 95% %94% Québec 72% 64% 60% Canada (excluding Québec) 6 53% 48% New England Atlantic - Central (2008/2006) New York (2010) 59% 32% 40% Other United States 40% 43%47% % Overseas Q28 Do you plan to come back to Montréal in the next five years? 10

11 Montréal is well-known for its atmosphere, culture and great variety of things to do. The city s accommodation infrastructure and its user-friendly reservation process are also greatly appreciated by travellers. Satisfaction Top 10 Atmosph ere Accomod ation Variety City s atmosphere Arts and culture Ease of finding information and getting around Courteous and efficient accommodation staff Efficient accommodation reservation process Efficient on-site accommodation procedures Diverse restaurant product Entertainment Variety of things to do Variety and quality of bars and nightclubs Very satisfied The 5 aspects of the city visitorss were most eager to experience are: o Discovering the city (62%) o Public transportation (43%) o Parks and green spaces (41%) o Local cuisine (40%) o Events and festivals (39%) To Summarize The habits of travellers to Montréal vary considerably depending on their point of origin. However, a few general trends emerge: By and large, trips are fairly short and occur mainly in the summer months; Traditional 3- or 4-star hotels, as well as staying with family or friends, tend to be the most commonly used types of accommodation; The Old Port is an especially popular tourist attraction; 11

12 Recommendations from family and friends have the strongest influence on the choice of Montréal as a destination; The Internet is the most commonly used method for organizing a trip to Montréal; A trip to Montréal is an enjoyable experience and constitutes an excellent reason for strongly recommending it as a destination to others; The city s atmosphere, culture, accommodation infrastructure and variety of things to do are its main strengths. The full report of survey results (in French only) is available on our website at 12