The mild weather is forcing many people to change their spring break plans and forcing many rental properties in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean to contend with a significant increase in cancellations.
Spring break may be less crowded than expected in the region. Rental cancellations continue to be made at Auberge des 21 in La Baie.
“We received a final email at 11am this morning informing us that all groups have been canceled for the month of March. We lost 6 at once,” noted owner Valeria Landivar.
Also in February, 20 groups canceled and the unfavorable weather conditions for winter sports caused them to change their plans. They are mostly Quebecers who wanted to stay in the region to go snowmobiling.
Benoit Rochefort, who owns a four-unit rental chalet in Mont-Édouard, has never seen anything like it.
“Some changed the date and decided to arrive earlier to take advantage of the temperature and rain. This morning I have a cancellation for spring break. We really feel like something is happening. “It’s usually rare that we have last-minute cancellations,” he emphasized.
The same goes for Cabananse, who reserves accommodation in L'Anse-Saint-Jean. Several skiers are canceling their reservations due to unstable weather conditions and the closure of the main road section at Mont-Édouard.
“There are several factors, not just temperature. The economic situation is not easy, people will be more selective in their activities and will want to maximize the money invested in their vacation, that is also understandable,” noted Mr. Rochefort.
Monts-Valin to the rescue
In return, the microclimate in Monts-Valin makes it possible to attract tourists from abroad to save the season.
“There are people who stayed somewhere else and come to us instead. They changed their itinerary, so instead of just coming for one day, they ended up taking two or three days to somewhat compensate for the cancellations we had during spring break,” says Lina Morin, co-owner and manager of Auberge KM 31 . is in the heart of Monts-Valin.
Despite the cancellation of many groups, other rental accommodations have found new clientele from abroad.
Auberge des 21 welcomes additional guests from the United States. It will soon receive visits from tourists from Mexico and is currently hosting a group of snowmobilers from Pennsylvania.
“There is absolutely no snow there. Here it is much better than anything we have had before,” said a snowmobiler who drove more than 12 hours to enjoy the snowmobile season in Saguenay.
The Auberge has also translated its website into English to better reach this new clientele.
“We will take advantage of the altitude, which allows us to retain our snow better than other regions. The season is expected to be shorter this year. But you have to live one day at a time,” concluded Lina Morin from Auberge KM 31.
Ultimately, Mother Nature will have the final say.