Quebec City Sees Rise In U.S. Groups, Incentives
<B> Quebec City Sees Rise In U.S. Groups, Incentives</B>
By Carolyn Green
<I>Québec City</I> - While the U.S. meetings and convention market represents only about 3 percent of Québec City's total tourism revenues, officials anticipate modest growth as Americans become better aware of the city's offerings--and the favorable exchange rate it offers on the U.S. dollar.
"We do see an increase from the U.S. market," said Pierre Labrie, general manager of the Québec City Tourism & Convention Bureau. "There's better awareness by American corporations of the Canadian marketplace because Québec has been very active in advertising and promoting itself over the past three years in the U.S. meetings and incentive market."
In addition to participation in major international trade shows, Labrie said the city's convention and visitors bureau is actively wooing U.S. corporate planners by organizing numerous familiarization trips and individual site inspections. Each year, the city and its local suppliers host three familiarization tours for U.S. planners because "until you've tasted something, you don't know how to sell it," Labrie said.
He also noted that Québec City is attractive to planners because the Canadian dollar--now trading at about 64 U.S. cents--offers high value.
Also bolstering interest by U.S. groups is the Ambassador program, which relies on Québec City natives who are members of large international organizations to bring business to the city. "We use them as Trojan horses to convince Americans to come to Québec," he said, citing a recent international meeting of Ducks Unlimited as an example of the successful program.
Acknowledging that Québec City cannot satisfy the needs of the largest meeting and incentive groups, Labrie said it is better suited to small or medium-sized groups.
Meeting planner Slavka Sucevic, director of membership services and meeting planning for the Chicago-based American Society of Dentistry for Children, for one, is impressed with North America's oldest city. "I've been to several other Canadian cities and enjoyed them all," she said, "but Québec City really touched my heart. There's something exceedingly charming about it. It's much like a small European city in the middle of North America."
Indeed, Québec City--the only walled city in America north of Mexico--is not typically North American. Founded in 1608, it is rich in history, culture, architecture and European ambiance with its narrow winding cobblestone streets, centuries-old stone buildings with copper roofs and quaint boutiques, cafés and restaurants in the Old Town.
Activities available to groups include historic scavenger hunts that serve as team-building experiences, sailboat cruises on the St. Lawrence River and dinners in a former chapel with historic interactive theater entertainment.
To Sucevic, who organizes one annual and two or three regional meetings each year for groups that range in size from 150 to 200 participants, this list of offsite options is one of the Québec City's most compelling attributes.
"We like to be in a city where participants have something to do on their own during the day--where there's shopping and where there are beautiful things to see and experience," she said. "I think Québec City meets all those criteria."
Steve Derse, national accounts manager for the Bellwether Group, a meeting planning and travel management firm based in Nashville, was equally impressed on a recent fam trip. "It's one of the more unique offerings in North America. It offers historical interest, aesthetic interest and a chance for people to experience a little bit of Europe. It has flare but it is also affordable."
Derse plans to bring a group of key corporate clients to Québec City next year, and "has interest in summer and ski programs there," he said.
While planners are quick to laud the city's many attributes, they also pointed to a few negatives. For example, direct air access from the United States is limited to three daily flights from Boston on Business Express. Alternatively, visitors can fly to Toronto or Montreal where they can pick up connecting flights to Québec City.
But the Tourism & Convention Bureau is attempting to rectify the situation. "We are working hard on that and our approach in the coming months will be to develop partnerships with interested carriers for a long-term program," Labrie said.
Derse also noted that the city has a shortage of deluxe hotels. "Apart from the Frontenac and Loews, I think the city lacks a bit in its upscale accommodation," he said. But, he added, "You find me a Ritz or a Four Seasons with the same location as the Chateau Frontenac. We have things that need to be improved upon but we have a very good, well-balanced product that's different from elsewhere. It's not Paris. It's not London. But it is typically European with American comfort, hospitality, safety, cleanliness, proximity to nature and history, so I would say we're quite competitive.