Although Montreal hoteliers began the year dealing with closed borders and strict health measures such as compulsory mask-wearing, 2022 will be remembered for the surge in tourism that followed the gradual lifting of restrictions starting in mid-March — and the return of marquee events such as Formula One’s Canadian Grand Prix. Montreal also hosted several prominent conventions, finishing the year with December’s COP15 biodiversity conference and its thousands of delegates.
Frédéric Tomesco Published Mar 10, 2023 • 3 minute read
“This should be a good year,” the local hotel association says.
Occupancy at Montreal hotels surged nearly 89 percent in 2022, the best showing among Canada’s six biggest cities, according to a new report published by the Avison Young real-estate services firm. Revenue per available room, a key industry metric, soared 155 percent in Montreal to $127.45.
Canadian hotel market statistics
“All the major Canadian markets showed strong recovery year-over-year, but Montreal really stood out,” Curtis Gallagher, who heads Avison Young’s hospitality business for Canada, said Friday in an interview. “There was a return of leisure (travellers) due to pent-up demand, and a return of small groups, regional and local businesses.”
“Montreal was a great benefactor of some large conferences, but it also has the Formula One race, the jazz festival and all those things that opened back up again,” Gallagher said. “It has a lot of demand generators, and it really took advantage of the recovery.”
Having bottomed out at 33 percent in the first quarter, occupancy in Montreal took off as the economy reopened, hotel association data show. By the fourth quarter, the metric hit 69 percent, just shy of the 70 percent average recorded in the same period in 2019. COP15 boosted occupancy for December to almost 67 percent, exceeding 2019 levels.
Absent a repeat of the health crisis, Montreal’s hotel operators can look forward to an even better year in 2023.
Montreal’s Palais des congrès said in January it already had about 200 events booked until Dec. 31. Major gatherings include next week’s International Summit on Electric and Smart Transportation, an artificial intelligence event called World Summit AI Americas 2023 and the World Congress of Neurology.