Montréal Surpasses the 100,000-Passenger Mark

(Source: 699pic.com)

During this year’s cruise season, Montréal welcomed 101,504 international and domestic passengers, surpassing the 100,000-passenger mark for the first time. This is 10% more than in 2017. Meanwhile, 25,383 crew members stopped in Montréal, up 11.8% from 22,888 in 2017. In total, 127,087 passengers and crew members converged in Montréal this year, for an overall improvement of 11%.

The season’s highlights include the inaugural sailing on July 27 of the Victory II, a ship operated by Victory Cruise Line, which specializes in river cruises. There was also a celebration as the Port of Montreal welcomed AIDA Cruises’ 80,000th passenger in Montreal, and the inaugural visits of the AIDAvita, Star Pride (Windstar Cruises) and Silver Spirit (Silversea Cruises).

In all, 25 cruise ships representing 18 cruise lines came to Montréal this year.

“Montréal is now considered an essential stop on cruise itineraries, thanks to the hard work of all local industry stakeholders. Given how promising the cruise and luxury travel segments are for our economy, it’s important that we continue our efforts to attract them,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

“Once again this year, we saw record-breaking traffic at the Port of Montréal’s cruise facilities. This is a clear indicator that our initiatives are working. We carefully monitor industry trends and believe that there will be ann increase in the construction and arrival of luxury cruise and expedition ships in the next five years—two ship categories that are specifically targeted by the Port of Montréal’s development strategy,” said Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montréal Port Authority.

The 2018 season in numbers

About Montréal Cruises

Montréal Cruises (formerly The Montréal Cruise Committee) works closely with the Montréal Port Authority and Tourisme Montréal, as well as: Aéroports de Montréal, the Old Port of Montréal Corporation, the Old Montréal Business Development Corporation, the Hotel Association of Greater Montréal and the City of Montréal. For more information about cruises in Montréal, go to http://cruises.alamontreal.com/.

About the Port of Montréal

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. It is a leading container port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. Port activity supports 16,000 jobs and generates $2.1 billion in economic benefits annually. Ideally located at the intersection of the Saint-Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, the Port of Montréal is the second largest port along the Saint-Lawrence River. Every year, it welcomes tens of thousands of passengers and crew members travelling on ships destined for international and domestic destinations, including the Great Lakes.

About Tourisme Montréal

Tourisme Montréal is a private, non-profit organization that works to position Montréal as an international-calibre leisure and business travel destination. The organization leads innovative tourist welcome strategies with a twofold objective: ensuring that visitors enjoy a quality experience and maximizing the economic benefits of tourism. Uniting more than 900 tourism professionals, Tourisme Montréal plays a leading role in the management and development of Montréal’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.