A new study has revealed visitors to downtown Montreal are highly satisfied with the destination – particularly tourists from outside Quebec. In fact, visitors tend to like the city better than those who live there.

The study, conducted by Léger for Montréal Centre-Ville, was based on a face-to-face survey of 1,021 visitors to downtown Montreal, as well as a web survey of 1,404 Quebecers to find out their appreciation of the heart of the city as the summer season approaches.

The survey revealed a very high satisfaction rate among visitors surveyed in the downtown core, particularly among tourists from outside Quebec, who are 100% satisfied with their visit to the city. This satisfaction rate was 94% among students, 93% among residents, 92% among local tourists, and 91% among office workers.

The study also reveals that, regardless of the reason for their presence in the downtown area, visitors strongly recommend living, travelling, studying, or working there.

The main strengths for Quebecers and foreign visitors to downtown Montreal were:

• Atmosphere and dynamism
• Cultural offer
• entertainment and free activities
• Gastronomy, and
• Proximity of all services.

The results of the study reveal that, while the downtown area has managed to maintain its attractiveness despite nearly three years of pandemic, it is also faced with major issues that are hindering its recovery. The three main irritants identified by users are:

• Cohabitation issues due to the growing presence of homelessness
• Lack of cleanliness, and
• High costs

“The power of attraction of Downtown Montreal lies first and foremost in the atmosphere and the vibrant experience it offers throughout the year. In particular, its cultural and gastronomic offerings, its walkability and the animation of the public domain offer a unique experience to users of all kinds,” said Glenn Castanheira, Executive Director of Montréal Centre-Ville. “It is therefore essential to strengthen these strategic assets that give our downtown a power of attraction that radiates well beyond the borders of Quebec.”Residents’ opinions

While downtown Montreal is Canada’s fastest growing downtown, the study reveals a divergence of opinion between downtown residents and other respondents.

• Residents find downtown clean at 53%, compared to 38% for Quebec respondents and 63% for visitors
• In terms of safety, 66% of residents felt safe in their neighbourhood, compared to 82% of visitors and 45% of Quebecers surveyed
• 65% of residents think that public spaces, parks, and green spaces are well maintained, compared with 46% of Quebecers and 76% of visitors to the downtown area
• 72% of residents consider the commercial offer to be of good quality and varied, compared with 94% of visitors outside Quebec and 81% of Quebecers outside Montreal

Meanwhile, the survey indicates that 85% of respondents consider the downtown area to be easily accessible by public transit and 83% consider walking to be pleasant and safe. In terms of active transportation, 65% of respondents indicated that it is easy to get around by bicycle in the area. Finally, only 36% of respondents found it easy to get around by car in the heart of the city.

Founded in 1999, Montréal Centre-Ville is downtown Montreal’s Business Improvement Area (BIA) Montréal, a non-profit organization representing nearly 5,000 businesses located between Atwater Avenue and Saint-Urbain Street and between Sherbrooke Street and Saint-Antoine Street.