Tourism - Innovation - Micro Climat(e): Letting Summer Visitors in on the Magic of Winter in Québec City

QUÉBEC CITY, Québec, July 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Québec City Tourism (QCT), in collaboration with Ateliers du Carnaval de Québec, has come up with a unique way for visitors to experience winter right in the middle of summer and encourage them to come back to see an authentic winter wonderland. Micro Climat(e) will be offering up this one-of-a-kind break from summer from July 3 to September 3, 2018, near Dufferin Terrace.

A 26 x 9-foot container, refrigerated 4 to 8 degrees Celsius and decked out in all the trappings of the snow season, offers tourists a feel for the exotic appeal of Québec winters, with ice sculptures, a mini ice hotel, a ski lift and videos on popular seasonal activities, all surrounding in Québec décor.

QCT created the idea two years ago to let summer visitors in on the magic of Québec City winters. The objective is to increase tourist traffic during the winter season.

"Winter tourism has real potential, and as an international destination, we need to be innovative in getting tourists from outside Québec to come back and visit us during the cold season," says Québec City Mayor Régis Labeaume.

"As one of the objectives of our 2017?2021 destination plan is to increase tourist traffic by 15% in the winter, we need to coordinate our actions and be creative in promoting the destination and boosting our visibility," added QCT President Andrée Gauthier.

The new attraction is open noon to 9 p.m. seven days a week, all summer long, and is located next to Dufferin Terrace between the Samuel de Champlain monument and the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel. This is a favourite spot for tourists and residents alike because it offers sweeping views of the St. Lawrence River, assuring its success.

To make the experience even more special for tourists, Bonhomme Carnaval will make a surprise visit throughout the summer. A staff of ten will be on hand to welcome visitors to Micro Climate(e).

To reduce the ecological footprint of Micro Climat(e) and support carbon neutrality, 1,000 trees have been planted as part of the green program of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel "Château Boréal".

The container is easily transportable so it can be used for future promotional activities in tourist spots outside Québec or in other locations around the city. The City of Québec and QCT will be widely promoting it on various platforms, especially social media, and it is expected to get considerable international attention.   

QCT urges residents and visitors to share their experience of this unique promotional tool on social media using the hashtag #quebecmicroclimat.

SOURCE Quebec City Tourism