Mid-season report - 2023 cruise season: vitality and dynamism at the Port of Montréal

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 30, 2023 /CNW/ - With 32 operations scheduled over the next two months, the peak cruise season promises to be particularly intense and beneficial for the metropolis. A total of nearly 70 000 passengers and crew members are expected in Montréal by the end of October, an increase of more than 40% compared to 2022, which testifies to the strength of the industry and the constant interest of cruise lines tourists for Montréal.

29,000 travellers and crew members arrived by boat between April 29 and August 31. 92% full on average, the ten ships carried out a total of 17 operations in the Port of Montréal. The start of the season was marked by the arrival of the Zaandam, from Holland-America Line. It has been the most important cruise line visiting Montréal since 2010. The first part of the season was also an opportunity for newcomers to reach Montréal. This was the case of the Viking Neptune, from Viking Ocean Cruises, which made its very first visit to the city on July 1.

From September 1 to 30, 17 operations are planned at the Port, for a total of more than 25,000 visitors and crew members. Two ships will be visiting Montréal for the first time during this period. The Viking Mars, from Viking Cruises, will be in Terminal 1 on September 26 and 27, while the Vista, from Oceania Cruises, will be there from September 28 to 30.

From October 1 to 31, 15 operations will take place at the Port, for a total of 16,500 passengers and crew members expected. Among the ships that will visit the city for the first time, there is the Pacific World, from Peace Boat, which transports its visitors on a journey around the world.

"Montreal is looking forward to its peak cruise season. It's in this spirit that our teams and facilities at the Port of Montreal's Grand Quay are ready to welcome tourists to our beautiful metropolis. They have come to enjoy its festive atmosphere, varied activities and many attractions," says Geneviève Deschamps, Acting President and CEO of the Port of Montreal.

"The marked growth in the number of visitors compared to 2022 shows that the pandemic is truly behind us and confirms the continued enthusiasm of cruise passengers from around the world about our city," says Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. The luxury clientele arriving via the St. Lawrence generates a very significant economic impact for Montréal, so we are extremely happy to welcome them in even greater numbers this year. »

Montréal Cruises is an umbrella organization comprised of the Montréal Port Authority and Tourisme Montréal as well well as five other local associations and organizations: Aéroports de Montréal, the Old Port of Montréal Association, the SDC Old Montréal, the Association des hôtels du Grand Montréal and the Ville de Montréal. For more information on cruises to Montréal, visit croisieresmontreal.com.

Operated by the Montréal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montréal is the second largest port in Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada's two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal and a Port Centre.

The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity supports 19,000 jobs and generates $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually.

Tourisme Montre?al is a 100-year-old private, non-profit organization that works to position Montre?al as an international-calibre leisure and business travel destination. To this end, the organization is piloting innovative hospitality strategies with a two-fold objective: ensuring that visitors enjoy a memorable experience and maximizing tourism economic spin-offs in a sustainable way with long-term impacts for the city. Uniting nearly 1,000 businesses and organizations working directly or indirectly in tourism, Tourisme Montre?al plays a leading role in the management and development of Montre?al's tourism business, and makes recommendations on issues surrounding the city's economic, urban and cultural development. For more information, go to www.mtl.org.

SOURCE Tourisme Montréal