Mid-Summer Report: Montréal’s Tourism Performs as Forecasted

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 12, 2025 /CNW/ – At the halfway point of the summer season, Tourisme Montréal is reporting a stable performance compared to the same period last year. The city continues to demonstrate its strong appeal, supported by the unique strength of its major events, smart promotional decisions, and the resurgence of the Canadian travel market.

In June and July, Canada—particularly the Atlantic provinces (+15%)—showed strong numbers. Québec experienced a 5% increase, while the U.S. market saw a slight decline of 7%, in line with trends anticipated earlier this spring.

“Maintaining a stable performance is already a strong result given the current global economic context. The year 2025 continues the momentum of 2024—our best year on record—and we are very pleased,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. “This is the result of thoughtful diversification and consistent investment in marketing efforts.”

Major Events and Conferences: Pillars of Our Summer Success

The strategic role of major events and festivals in driving Montréal’s appeal has once again been confirmed. Osheaga celebrated one of its strongest editions in 18 years, with 60% of attendees coming from outside Québec. The Montréal International Jazz Festival set a new attendance record, welcoming over 700,000 festivalgoers. The Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix and the National Bank Open also saw notable increases in attendance, further reinforcing the importance of large-scale sporting events in the summer calendar. Meanwhile, major concerts—including performances by The Weeknd and Katy Perry—contributed to Montréal’s ongoing status as a top-tier music destination.

Tourism Accommodation: A Sector in Full Evolution

Montréal’s tourism accommodation sector continues to show resilience and growth. The hotel inventory grew by nearly 5%, with an average occupancy rate of 73%. Outlooks remain optimistic for the remainder of the summer, with a 3.5% increase in demand anticipated for August and September.

At the same time, collaborative accommodation platforms like Airbnb continue to gain momentum. In June, demand grew by 7.5%, driven particularly by families seeking flexible lodging options. This trend accelerated in July, with a significant 12.4% increase, underscoring the growing interest in this alternative accommodation model, which now stands as a key complement to the traditional hotel offering.

Summer 2025 Is Far from Over

Montréal is maintaining strong momentum for the remainder of the summer. A 2% increase in total visitors is projected for the second half of the season.

Several major international conferences and sporting events are scheduled through fall, including:

• International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence (August 16–22 – 3,000 delegates)
• Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal (September 14 – 115,000 spectators)
• Beneva Montreal Marathon (September 21 – 140,000 spectators)
• Conference on Language Modeling (October 6–10 – 2,500 delegates)

In addition, tens of thousands of cruise passengers and crew members are expected to arrive in Montréal during the fall cruise peak season.

About Tourisme Montréal

Tourisme Montréal is a 100-year-old private, non-profit organization that works to position Montréal 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 more than 1,000 businesses and organizations working directly or indirectly in tourism, 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.

SOURCE Tourisme Montréal