Despite ever-rising gas prices, Quebecers continue to make the province their favorite vacation destination.
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If Quebecers plan to travel long distances to get to their summer destination, such as going to the Gaspé Peninsula, for example, the impact of gas prices will be felt once they reach their destination.
“People are going to be more sedentary during their vacation,” said Nicolas Ryan, director of public affairs for CAA-Quebec, in an interview with LCN.
Even if other countries are now accessible for travel, the Quebec population prefers their homeland to the rest of the world.
“It’s basically a throwback to 2019 numbers, so pre-pandemic,” Ryan noted of people’s enthusiasm for local tourism.
Moreover, according to the survey conducted by CAA-Quebec on Quebecers’ vacation habits, the population’s vacation budget is on the rise. The latter, marked by an average increase of $300 per household, is due to the years of a pandemic that put the summer projects of a good majority of the population on hold.
“During the pandemic, 9 out of 10 Quebecers stayed in the province; today, it is 2 out of 3, so 65% who will travel within the province”, explained Nicolas Ryan.
“The Gaspésie is going to be the most popular destination this year in Quebec; everyone wants their picture in the Gaspé, we’ve seen it for two years,” said Mr. Ryan.
However, Gaspésie, Charlevoix, Québec and Estrie are still among the regions favored by Quebecers, unlike Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Mauricie, which have “lost a lot of feathers” in the CAA- Quebec this year.
It should be noted that a good number of vacationers will stay at home, in particular to enjoy their home or to embark on various renovation projects.