MONTREAL — The atmosphere was as festive as it was sunny last night at Montreal’s Maison Alcan, and for good reason: Air Canada and the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Montreal-Pointe-à-Pitre air route.
On November 3, 1975, an Air Canada DC-8 landed at the airport of Guadeloupe’s capital with 166 passengers on board — “the first to have fled the harsh Canadian winter,” as the France-Antilles daily noted two days later.
One after another, destination reps took the microphone to highlight the bonds between Guadeloupe and Canadians.
Jean-Claude Nelson, Vice-President of the Guadeloupe Region, spoke of “a true love affair with this paradise among paradises,” while emphasizing the natural and cultural assets of the archipelago.
Air Canada, Atout France and many more partners joined the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board at last night’s travel industry event at Montreal’s Maison Alcan
For her part, Karen Acs, Air Canada’s Senior Manager, Regional Sales, declared that the story continues. “After seeing these images, we all want to leave tomorrow, don’t we? Well, that’s possible, since we offer year-round direct flights — up to six per week in peak season, and four in summer.”
For the many travel advisors in attendance, she also highlighted Air Canada’s new Air Canada & Me program, which allows agents to earn tokens convertible into Aeroplan points for flights booked through AC Connex.
A representative from Guadeloupe Pôle Caraïbes Airport, renamed a year ago in honor of the great Guadeloupean writer Maryse Condé, took the opportunity to salute Air Canada — the leading international airline in terms of passenger traffic and seat capacity.
Acs also announced the upcoming launch of a seasonal Toronto–Pointe-à-Pitre route, operating on Saturdays starting Dec. 20. During the winter season, Air Canada will serve Guadeloupe every day of the week from Canada.
“I looked at the flight time today – four hours and 50 minutes – and back then, it was five hours. So we haven’t really improved that, but I don’t think there was WiFi on board 50 years ago!” she joked.
MORE ENGLISH-SPEAKING CANADIANS TOO
This isn’t the destination’s first visit to Canada this fall, as the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board swung through Ontario last month for a travel industry event in Toronto, in anticipation of the new Toronto–Pointe-à-Pitre flights. The YYZ-PTP service will operate every Saturday through April 11, 2026.
In an interview with Travelweek, the tourism board said “more and more Canadians are visiting. English-speaking Canadians were already coming to the destination, but access will now be easier with the new flight.”
Air Canada’s Senior Manager, Regional Sales, Karen Acs
The destination has seen a 67% increase from Canada over the past four years, “so it’s only natural that we’re strengthening the Toronto route to open the destination further to this market.”
In addition to Air Canada’s PTP flights from Toronto and Montreal, Air France also flies YUL-PTP, and Air Transat offers seasonal service during the winter, and its Montreal to Pointe-à-Pitre route will become a year-round service beginning in summer 2026, with two weekly flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Air Transat will also debut a new PTP route from Quebec City on Feb. 18, 2026.
More than 100,000 Canadians already visit the Guadeloupe Islands, and that number is expected to hit 105,000 – 110,000 in 2026, and 120,000 in 2027, and 150,000 by 2030.
The tourism board actively collaborates with travel advisors through webinars, training sessions, and participation in events like the ACV product launch and workshops in Quebec.
The Islands of Guadeloupe, by the numbers …
- Six islands
- 380,400 inhabitants
- About one million visitors annually
- 34% of visitors are regulars
- 85% of visitors plan to return
- Regional leader in the cruise industry with 420,000 passengers
- 400 km of beaches, 90 historic sites, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and 10 weeks of annual festivities
- A new 102-room hotel coming in winter 2026: the Pullman Royal Key Wellness Resort in Le Moule, on Grande-Terre
- A travel-planning app: Hello Guadeloupe
This article originally appeared in Profession Voyages, part of The Travelweek Group. VoX International represents the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board in Canada. For more information about travel to the Guadeloupe Islands click here.
With file from Travelweek
The six Guadeloupe Islands are home to 380,400 inhabitants and welcome one million visitors annually