Quebec City, October 23, 2020 - Grappling with the biggest crisis in its history, while the tourism industry is the hardest-hit economic sector in Quebec, Canada and elsewhere in the world, tourism players continue to mobilize and act proactively with the creation of the Quebec Tourism Industry Economic Conference.
Mr. Raymond Bachand will act as Chairman of the Conference, made up of 12 women and men, owners and managers of tourism businesses, with extensive operational experience and complementary expertise acquired within this economic sector. Their knowledge of regional, national and international realities, of the various sectors of activity and of the reality of businesses of all sizes that make up the tourism industry will serve the Conference's mission to the full. Over the past few days, several meetings have already been held with government authorities to propose concrete solutions and prevent the destructuring of tourism, a sector essential to the economic vitality of Quebec and its regions.
A highly relevant economic conference in these difficult times
In the spring of 2020, tourism was one of the first industries to be hit hard by the current pandemic. While some areas of Quebec's 22 tourist regions enjoyed a short period of increased visitor numbers during the summer season, urban centers and regional hubs were deserted. What's more, Quebec tourism companies had to adapt significantly to the particular reality of operating during the COVID-19 period. Similarly, autumn, which usually attracts a large number of international tourists, as well as being a prime time for business events and school and sports tourism throughout the province, has been virtually wiped out by the second wave of the pandemic. The outlook for recovery is bleak: according to many experts, it will take several years for tourism to recover from this unprecedented crisis.
Prior to the pandemic, Quebec tourism contributed $16 billion annually to the Quebec economy, while representing over 400,000 jobs. What's more, in terms of foreign currency inflows into the Quebec economy, tourism represented the equivalent of Quebec's fifth-largest export sector, with some 9.3 million tourists from outside Quebec generating $5.8 billion in tourism spending on Quebec territory.
The current crisis is having a major impact on tourism and the Quebec economy. According to a recent study carried out in September 2020 by RCGT Horwarth HTL, revenue losses of $3.4 billion are forecast for 2020-2021, representing a 61% drop in sales for the accommodation, attractions and tourism services sectors alone, a forecast that does not include revenue losses in the tourism catering and transportation sub-sectors.
A global vision, a strong, unified voice
Within the Conference, members do not represent their company, region or specific sector, but rather Quebec as a whole, as well as a diversity of business sectors and company sizes.
In addition to the Chairman, Raymond Bachand, who also acts as Strategic Advisor, the members of the Conference are, in alphabetical order:
Alain April - Hôtel Le Bonne Entente and Entourage sur-le-Lac
Pascale Coutu - La Courgerie
Janine Durette - La Ronde Six Flags
Christiane Germain - Germain Hotels
Yan Hamel - Croisières AML
Caroline Lepage - AGORA OPUS3
Patrice Malo - Mont Tremblant Resort
Jacques Primeau - L'Équipe Spectra
Luzana Rada - Global Tourisme
David Rheault - Air Canada
Claudine Roy - Auberge sous les Arbres
Quotes
"Two months of summer operations will never have made up for the absence of business and leisure customers from markets outside Quebec. Despite rigorous management, profitability is impossible, the coffers are empty, but the financial obligations remain. The next few weeks will be critical for the survival of many businesses, whether in the red zone or not. We're talking downright survival: how in the next year can we hope to pay our employees, our taxes, our bills with just 20% of our usual revenues?"
Yan Hamel, Conference member
Croisières AML
"Our greatest concern is for the employees that the tourism sector risks losing forever, which would deprive the industry of fundamental expertise in a context of labour scarcity. Without the wage subsidy of recent months, a large number of companies that we might have thought strong would already have gone out of business. However, the reduced parameters of this subsidy are insufficient in the current circumstances, and do not offer any hope of recovery.
Caroline Lepage, Conference member
AGORA OPUS3
"I am a great believer in the socio-economic impact of this sector, which contributes greatly to the vitality of Quebec and its regions. As a former member of the Board of Directors of Tourisme Montréal, as well as a former Minister of Tourism and Minister of Finance, I have chosen to get involved with the other members of the Conference in order to do everything in our power to avoid the destructuring of an entire segment of our economy."
Raymond Bachand, O.C., Ad. E., Conference President
Strategic Advisor
About the Economic Conference of the Quebec Tourism Industry
The Conference is a committee of business leaders with a keen understanding of regional and sectoral issues, as well as the diversity of company sizes within the economic sector. Together, they boast solid operational experience in the Quebec tourism industry, and benefit from their complementary expertise. Using data, monitoring activities and economic analyses, the members of the Conference discuss the main issues identified by Quebec companies and the association network, in particular the state of the business environment and the impact of public policies on the industry. They also analyze the conditions for success and recommend strategies to generate maximum benefits for the whole of Quebec.
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Source and information
Anne-Hélène Couturier
Relationship Manager
[email protected]
(581) 994-2663
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