Tourisme Montréal is a private, non-profit organization, founded in 1919 and incorporated in 1924. It comprises more than 750 members and partners from Montreal’s tourism industry, who share the common goal of promoting the city as a premier travel destination to non-local markets.
In 1998, the organization officially known as the Greater Montréal Convention and Tourism Bureau Inc. adopted the shorter and more user-friendly marketing name of Tourisme Montréal.
Tourisme Montréal receives funding from three levels of government, but is a privately run enterprise with its own board of directors.
Its members and industry partners also contribute financially through membership dues and fees for promotional and advertising campaigns targeting markets outside of Québec.
The City of Montréal accommodation tax represents its main source of revenue.
Tourisme Montréal is committed to the sound management of its funds, allocating approximately 70% of its total budget to marketing, promotional and advertising activities targeting primary and secondary markets.
Less than 30% of its budget goes to salaries, payroll taxes and other operating costs, comparing very favourably with the spending allocations of Destination Marketing International (formerly the International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus) which, on average, devotes 52.1% of its budget to promotional activities and 47.9 % to operating costs.
In fully assuming its role as leader, Tourisme Montréal mobilizes members and partners around activities to promote and develop, among others, the Canadian and U.S. markets to attract meetings and conventions to Montréal and to persuade leisure travellers to choose our city.
Tourisme Montréal is committed to ensuring that all visitors receive a warm welcome. To this end, it sees that provincial hospitality standards are respected, promotes awareness and dialogue among industry players on the importance of excellence in hospitality, and supports initiatives to develop appropriate services for the Montréal region, which include producing and distributing travel literature and establishing tourism information centres. Tourisme Montréal also offers unsurpassed logistical support to meeting and convention planners, as well as specialized foreign press.
The primary goal of the development strategies implemented by Tourisme Montréal is to enhance Montréal’s appeal as a year-round destination, while highlighting its distinct character.
Tourisme Montréal’s actions centre around two key objectives:
