QUEBEC CITY — Québec City Tourism is now Destination Québec cité.

The new name for the tourism board marks a shift to a more modern image “to better face the competition and stay ahead of the current market trends”, says Destination Québec cité.

The change is aligned with the relaunching of its brand, initiated in 2018, “Québec cité, l’accent d’Amérique”.

The Québec City tourism region includes the city of Québec, the municipal regional counties of the Isle of Orleans, the Beaupré Coast, Portneuf and Jacques-Cartier. The new name, Destination Québec cité, will highlight the many features of this diverse agglomeration and all its components.

The new name also helps differentiate between the province of Québec and the tourist region of Québec city.

“In this crucial period where, more than ever, the region must distinguish itself to claim its rightful place on the tourism scene, introducing Destination Québec cité as the new name is perfectly timed,” said the Mayor of Québec City, Régis Labeaume. “This strong and inspiring name leaves no doubt: the Québec region is THE destination of choice for visitors from all over the world.”

Adds Robert Mercure, General Manager of Destination Québec cité: “The pandemic has accelerated the tourism trends and increased the level of competition, further accentuating the urgency to reinvent ourselves and adopt the latest trends, thus meeting the expectations of the tourism industry within this new reality. We truly believe that this new name will help us positively contribute to the recovery effort of our industry by reinforcing our destination’s position and demonstrating our willingness to be more competitive, increasing our notoriety and allowing our destination to shine bright around the world.”

Québec City saw an average occupancy rate of 58% between June 25 – August 21, 2021, an increase of 45% during the same period in 2020.

Québec City had a vast marketing campaign implemented in the Québec province, as well as the Ontario market since June, offering a $75 gift card when booking two nights or more.

Organizers also note that Destination Québec cité’s marketing campaign was viewed more than 70 million times and generated over 840, 000 visits on its website, a record for Québec City. The indicators show that the average length of stay of Québécois visitors has increased, “just as we had hoped.”

Québec City also topped the charts for best Canadian destination in terms of hotel occupancy for a few weeks this summer and was in the lead throughout the season in this category along with Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax.