2019 ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 Tourisme Montréal’s mandate 05 Message from the Chairman of the Board 07 Message from the President and CEO 08 Tourism industry performance and economic impacts 14 Member, Industry and Partner Relations 20 Destination Development and Public Affairs 26 Marketing, Communications and Information Technology 40 Sales and Convention Services 46 Human Resources 50 Finance and Administration 54 Tourisme Montréal’s Board of Directors 56 Tourisme Montréal’s partners Tourisme Montréal’s mandate Tourisme Montréal is a private, not-for-profit organization and one of the city’s key economic stakeholders. With over 900 members and partners, our goal is to promote Montréal as a choice tourist destination. Promoting the destination Tourism product development Tourisme Montréal works closely with its We provide guidance on the development of members and partners to recommend and Montréal’s tourism product based on continually implement prospecting and promotional initiatives changing market conditions and in line with internationally with the aim of attracting events strategies designed to enhance Montréal’s appeal (conventions, meetings, conferences, etc.) during all four seasons and to highlight the and individual travellers (business and leisure) destination’s unique personality. to Montréal. Tourisme Montréal is dedicated to this goal and Maximizing economic spinoffs actively consults with thought leaders in the tourism sector when developing its plans. To this end, we Tourisme Montréal creates business opportunities for have joined forces with industry partners to create its members and partners with a view to maximizing various consultative and cooperative committees, the economic spinoffs of tourism for the whole city. including Culture, Board Events, Conventions, Food, Religious Tourism, Tourist Welcome, Recreation and Tourist welcome Tourism Investment, Luxury Clienteles, Sustainability Tourisme Montréal leads local efforts to develop a in the Tourism Industry, International Cruises and the tourist welcome strategy centred on a concrete Regroupement des festivals engagés. goal: creating an unforgettable experience for . visitors. Our responsibilities include managing a tourist information office, educating the tourism industry on the importance of offering a quality welcome and providing guidance on the development of tourist services. 03 Message from the Chairman of the Board As of this writing, organizations across the tourism Once this unprecedented crisis is behind us, we must industry are scrambling to protect their employees, ensure that our initiatives are driven by sustainable jobs, businesses and long-term viability as the world and harmonious development principles in order to grapples with one of the worst health crises in balance the needs of visitors and the industry that modern history. Hotels, restaurants, airlines, shops serves them with the expectations of Montrealers. and service providers of all kinds are working Various projects, such as plans to expand the Palais tirelessly to get through these challenging times. des congrès, already a mainstay of the city’s business district, will bolster the tourism industry and become And yet, it’s already time to look ahead to the a new attraction for the local community. post-crisis phase. Even though no specific date has been set, businesses will eventually reopen. By the On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like time this happens, Montréal’s tourism ecosystem will to thank Tourisme Montréal’s employees and have changed considerably, and Tourisme Montréal management team for their hard work and dedication will do everything it can, using all the means at our during this period of uncertainty. Through their disposal, to support its members and the city’s entire efforts, these individuals show how important tourism industry. Montréal is to them. Despite the recent setbacks, it’s important not Our board members have also risen to the occasion. to lose sight of last year’s successes. I encourage you Even though each of them has been contending with to take a moment to revisit 2019, a year in which we urgent matters in their regular positions, they’ve celebrated Tourisme Montréal’s 100th anniversary been generous with the time and support they have and launched highly effective marketing initiatives offered to our President and CEO, Yves Lalumière. that led to outstanding economic results across all sectors. Finally, our success would not be possible without the unwavering support of our major partners, which Last year, we decided to capitalize on our status include the City of Montréal, Québec’s Ministry of as the international gateway to Québec, since Tourism, Canada’s department responsible for more than 80% of overseas travellers and 60% of tourism, the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du international tourists visiting the province start their Québec, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan journey in Montréal. That’s why Tourisme Montréal Montréal, Montréal International, the Hotel works closely with key partners such as Québec’s Association of Greater Montréal and the Palais des Ministry of Tourism and the Alliance de l’industrie congrès de Montréal. Now, more than ever, we are touristique du Québec, while sharing and grateful to have them at our side and on our side. coordinating action plans aimed at promoting the entire provincial tourism industry. Philippe Sureau Chairman of the Board 05 A word from the President and CEO Dear friends, This annual report was intended as a retrospective of 2019, Over the past 100 years, we’ve worked together with our a very successful year for Montréal’s tourism industry. members and partners to support many of the city’s most However, we would be remiss if we did not address the ambitious undertakings, and we certainly have no intention health crisis that has sent the global economy and tourism of slowing down. industry into a tailspin since the beginning of 2020. While the 2019 Annual Report was being written, 2019: A pivotal year the Tourisme Montréal team and I were confidently 2020: A challenging year gearing up for 2020. Little did we know that we’d soon Tourisme Montréal owes its position as an industry be thrown into a period of tremendous instability. leader to its founders, who stretched their vision beyond the Trans-Canada Highway and set their sights on building Despite the rocky start to 2020, I would like to bring back a prosperous and fertile tourism industry. While 1919 was a the positive energy from Tourisme Montréal’s 100th turning point for the tourism sector as a whole, 2019 proved anniversary festivities and celebrate Montréal’s success as to be a pivotal year for every single member of a must-see tourist destination. I firmly believe that the city our organization. owes its popularity to its irresistible flair. Montréal shines— and will continue to shine—in the eyes of locals and visitors In 2020, all of our colleagues, members and industry thanks to its creative energy, welcoming personality, partners were hit hard by the unprecedented health crisis. positive vibe and exceptional arts, cultural, sports and Tourisme Montréal was not spared and we were forced to food scenes. make difficult decisions balancing our usual methodical and disciplined approach with the kindness we’re known This spring, when I saw Montréal come to a standstill, for. Building on our accomplishments from the past 100 the streets devoid of the colourful and vibrant people who years, we’re confident about the legacy we have yet to embody the city’s spirit, I truly understood why tourists say build. Thinking big is easy when you know your potential. “You don’t visit Montréal, you live it.” Dear friends, together we’ve done great things to shape Believing in ourselves Montréal’s landscape and enhance its appeal. Even though we’ve lost some momentum, I’m counting on you to keep Tourisme Montréal has always recognized our city’s your spirits up and keep your eye on the future. Before potential and had ambitious hopes for it. We remain long, we’ll be together again, collaborating on projects and confident that, when the time is right, this drive will celebrating the same success we’ve known for the past help the city emerge from the crisis. 100 years! Montréal has successfully earned a reputation as a gateway to North America and tourism is a key pillar of our economy. As the unifying force behind Montréal’s tourism industry, we recognize, now more than ever, the importance of our role in promoting local initiatives to key decision makers. The fact that Montréal continually hosts a wide range of business and sports events is a testament to our Yves Lalumière hard work in selling the city to organizing committees. President and CEO 07 Tourism industry performance and economic impacts Montréal’s tourism industry enjoyed continued growth in 2019 Tourism volumes climbed steadily in 2019 thanks to growing numbers In 2019, Montréal welcomed of travellers from within Canada and abroad. The international segment 11.1 million tourists (+2.2 % over contributed substantially to the city’s tourism results despite 2018) out of a total of geopolitical tensions and signs of a global economic slowdown. 29.1 million visitors.1 Compared with the year prior, cross-border arrivals were up 5.4 % while the number of overseas tourists climbed 7.3 %. This improvement was mainly attributable to visitors from France (+10 %), our leading market, Rallying the and from Mexico (+22 %), another prominent source market for Montréal. industry for 100 years Increases were also recorded in the number of tourists from the United Kingdom (+3 %), Germany (+9 %) and Japan (+10 %). Only the Chinese Tourist spending totalled market declined, with a 7 % contraction. $4.86 billion, marking a 5.2 % increase over 2018.2 Several factors contributed to these positive results, including the addition of new direct air connections, which strengthened Montréal’s emerging role as an international flight hub while enhancing its appeal to tourists.