The adage that the misfortune of some makes the happiness of others is borne out by the incessant rains this summer in Quebec. While outdoor leisure activities can be difficult to stay afloat, indoor activities are very popular.
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Recreation or climbing centers, escape games, museums or shopping centers – everyone agrees that the whims of Mother Nature are very profitable since the beginning of the holidays.
“It’s been an extraordinary year,” said Défi-Évasion President and Founder Dave Welsh. For the month of July 2023, we exceeded our 2022 results by 65% and could well continue to do so in August, no matter how disastrous the weather. It’s flat, but the rain is doing us a lot of good.”
The Quebec-based escape game company is enjoying the “best of its eight-year existence”.
Ditto for BoulZeye, a leisure center in Pointe-aux-Trembles on the island of Montreal.
“The difference is really noticeable this summer. We were expecting something much quieter. […] It has been an extremely positive year for us. We’re on the right track and if we continue like this, we could possibly open another location,” says Sales Manager Benjamin Roy.
Last minute
The entertainment area, which offers bowling alleys, an arcade and laser tag, among other things, saw a significant increase in admissions with no or last-minute reservations. An observation Dave Welsh shares about his company.
“People see when they get up that the weather isn’t so nice, but they still want to make something out of their vacation: That’s normal! The time slots that we have free find buyers in time to say it.
The mall
What’s the ideal getaway for Quebecers on a rainy-weather vacation? The good old mall, of course. This summer, the Galeries de la Capitale has been busy since the holidays started.
René Baillargeon / QMI Agency
“As soon as it rains, people flock to us who are at the campsites or have planned outdoor activities,” argues the mall’s managing director, Stéphan Landry. What we saw in July was a 16% increase year-on-year and 13% compared to the construction holidays.
flat out
Although inflation is rising sharply, visitors to the Galeries de la Capitale have not curbed their consumption, quite the contrary.
“People buy and leave with bags. […] We often see queues outside stores and our retailers’ sales have increased significantly year-to-date,” continued Mr. Landry.
Like the manager of the Quebec mall, Albane Le Nay, director of operations and customer experience at Espace pour la vie Montreal, attributes some of the traffic to indoor public spaces to returning international tourists.
“We are feeling the impact of the return of tourism very clearly. […] Our different locations [le Biodôme, le Planétarium, l’Insectarium et le Jardin botanique] are busier than in previous years,” she concludes.
What they said:
“Compared to 2022, the number of visitors has increased by 33% in the Biodôme, by 43% in the Planetarium and by 11% in the Botanical Garden, in all weather conditions.”
– Albane Le Nay, Director of Operations and Customer Experience at Space for Life Montreal
“From the opening, people have been queuing at the Méga Parc ticket office. We are on track to surpass our visitor record by the end of 2023. […] On some summer days it was even busier than during the holiday season!”
– Stéphan Landry, general manager of the Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec
“We get a lot of last minute calls for large reservations and people who show up at the door the same day without a reservation. It’s pretty unpredictable who comes to the site when the weather is bad.
– Maria Izquierdo, director of the Horizon Roc climbing center in Montreal
“We have noticed an increase in traffic this summer. As we are a sports center on wheels, the weather plays a big part in our visit. Our peak season is always winter when the other parks are closed, but we saw a 50% increase in July compared to 2022.
– Nicolas Morin, technical service manager for the TAZ skate park in Montreal
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