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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations
Published: 25 July 2018 25 July 2018

At the June annual general meeting of the board of directors of Cruise the Saint Lawrence, association members appointed officers to the following positions: Tony Boemi of Port of Montréal was elected to a two-year term as President, with Nancy Houley of Port of Québec continuing in her capacity of Vice President, and Renée Dumas of Cruise Baie-Comeau named to the post of Secretary-Treasurer. The board of directors is proud to contribute to the development of the international cruise industry in Québec and economic growth across the region.

During the meeting, the board underscored the extremely positive results posted for 2017 prior to shifting their focus to 2018 deemed ripe with the prospect for continued growth. During the 2017 cruise season, more than half a million passengers and crew members visited the nine international ports of call of on the St. Lawrence. This strong growth shows that Quebec is succeeding in carving out a place in the international cruise industry and distinguishing itself as a must-see destination. It is, 387,678 passengers and 151,362 crew members that visited the nine international ports of call of the Saint Lawrence.

It is already possible to predict that 2018 will be an equally extraordinary year. This year’s season, which began in May, was marked by the presence of Holland America and Hurtigruten vessels on the Saint Lawrence. By the end of the season in progress, the nine member ports of call are expected to log over 500 000 passenger-days and more than 150 000 crew members which would amount to a 30% increase in passenger numbers from 2017 to 2018.

Over the years, Destination Canada New England – of which Cruise the Saint Lawrence is a key component – has secured a place of choice in international cruise industry circles. Destination strengths include distinctively different ports, abundant natural and cultural attractions, and signature passenger greeting operations. In 2018, 26 cruise lines operating 35 different ships will visit destination shores for a combined direct and indirect annual economic impact of over $500 million.

Cruise the Saint Lawrence is a sectoral organization which groups together the nine ports of call located along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River. The mission of the organization is to grow cruise market activities in Québec and across Destination Canada New England through the provision of marketing and development services to members. Cruise the Saint Lawrence enjoys the support of partners Tourism Québec, Québec Tourism Industry Alliance and Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada.