From Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon via Anticosti Island, eastern Quebec is one of the world's largest biosphere reserves. The St. Lawrence becomes an estuary, then a gulf, and the boreal forest becomes taiga. Whales sing the land of Gilles Vigneault. Quebecers have been seduced by the larger-than-life tourist offerings of the Côte-Nord. This year, businesses are ready to welcome Quebec visitors.

The ups and downs of the pandemic for the tourism industry

The pandemic has left a few pebbles in its wake. Almost everywhere, catering and accommodation businesses have suffered from lost revenue. In the eastern part of the province, the tourist season has been delayed, international cruises have been cancelled and outfitters have been emptied of Americans. The Lower North Shore, from Kegaska to Blanc-Sablon, which is mainly accessed by sea or by plane, has been deprived of international tourists since the winter of 2020 with the ban on the movement of ships with more than 100 people. “Normally, cruises that stopped in Baie-Comeau or Havre-Saint-Pierre saw European tourists flock from Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom to visit this wild part of the province, particularly the Mingan Archipelago,” explains Pierre-Olivier Normand, communications and marketing coordinator at the Côte-Nord Tourism Office.

However, the region saw exceptional traffic overall in 2020, which bodes well for 2021. “We can estimate the growth in the three parks (the wildlife reserve, the outfitter and the national park) at 14% more,” says Sépaq spokesperson Simon Boivin. “The campgrounds were full and remote areas like Lake Arthur and the Port-Cartier-Sept-îles reserve were more popular than ever. And for this season, everything is already full.”

Companies accustomed to tourists

No electroshock or sudden influx in sight for the region's entrepreneurs: overall, Quebecers are compensating for the absence of international visitors.

"We are used to welcoming tourists," explains Mr. Normand. "In the summer, it's whales, in the fall, hunting, and in the winter, snowmobiling. Tourism has not slowed down even if it comes from a more local source. Outdoor destinations are popular!"

Entrepreneurs were able to better prepare for this promising season. “We took reservations starting in January for the summer season, telling ourselves that we would rather cancel than wait until the last minute like last year,” says Jeannine Villeneuve, director of communications at Vacances Essipit , which has condos, chalets, campgrounds and outfitters. Managing to plan for staff is a major challenge.

“We could be more digital, but we want to keep tourism human and full of emotions,” says the woman who represents an Innu business. “This summer again, we chose to welcome customers in the flesh and sell our activities (bear watching, whale watching by kayak or zodiac, fishing and hiking) by telling our little stories, it’s part of the experience. The outdoors continues with the winds of the river, masks on!”

Solutions for discovering the hinterland

To continue to promote the region and ride its wave of popularity, the Côte-Nord has established partnerships. For Tourisme Côte-Nord, it remains important to renew the financial assistance granted to tourism businesses. Two programs have been set up with the government, Explore Québec and Passeport attraits . The first, supporting travel agencies forced to rely on local customers, offers discounted vacation packages with financial participation from the Ministry of Tourism. " Hôtel Tadoussac is a victim of this success!" smiles Mr. Normand.

The second program brings together businesses. For example, Tadoussac Autrement has partnered with the Archéo Topo interpretation centre, the Chauvin trading post and the Théâtre des Béloufilles to offer a whale and theatre passport. “Some businesses have really managed to stand out,” says Mr. Normand. “The passport has allowed lesser-known businesses to be on the map. No one has sat around watching the traffic go by!”

To attract visitors from Quebec, whose influx to the region is strong but uneven, Anticosti Island, which has attracted American hunters and Europeans eager for wild spaces, aspires to obtain the second long-distance hiking trail (GR) accreditation in America (after the International Appalachian Trail) and is a candidate to acquire UNESCO National Heritage status by 2023. All in all, great publicity to make residents of the entire province proud! Sépaq has also developed a package that includes accommodation, meals and flights for tourists from here. "We have just improved the offer with the opening of the Auberge Port-Menier to focus more on vacationing, next to the largest outfitter in the world on a peninsula of 200 inhabitants and some 100,000 deer," announces Mr. Boivin. "It's already full for this summer and even next year!"

A developing region

The tourism industry knows that it will have to diversify its portfolio in the coming years if it wants to meet demand. The pandemic has helped to raise awareness of the region, but the question remains: will businesses be able to continue to adapt once the borders open, if local tourism remains so popular? “The Côte-Nord is a developing region,” clarifies Mr. Normand. “The hotel sector needs to expand. The offer is being built, agritourism with boreal cuisine in particular is booming, from small northern fruits like haskap and chicoutai to seafood with the famous scallops of Havre-Saint-Pierre or the oysters and large lobsters of Anticosti! It would be wise to stretch the seasons to avoid the gaps. Businesses are already suffering enormously from a shortage of labour, especially young people, this is the big challenge of the last few years, and the coming years.”