New Study Confirms Downtown Montreal's attractiveness

MONTRÉAL, April 20, 2023 /CNW/ - This is the overall finding of a study commissioned by Montréal Centre-Ville and produced by the firm Léger, unveiled this morning as part of the work of the Alliance for Downtown Montréal.    

The study is based on a face-to-face survey of 1,021 visitors to downtown Montréal, 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..

Visitors' overall satisfaction with downtown Montreal is very high

The survey reveals 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 heart of the city. This satisfaction rate rises to 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, traveling, studying or working there.

The main strengths for Quebecers and foreign visitors

Downtown Montreal is mainly appreciated by all respondents for:

1. its atmosphere and dynamism;
2. its cultural offer;
3. its entertainment and free activities
4. its gastronomy;
5. the proximity of all services.

The main weaknesses of Downtown Montreal

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:

1. cohabitation issues due to the growing presence of homelessness;
2. lack of cleanliness;
3. 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. 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," said Glenn Castanheira, Executive Director of Montréal Centre-Ville.

Downtown residents' opinions differ from the average respondents

While downtown Montreal is Canada's fastest growing downtown, this 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 neighborhood, 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

The vast majority of respondents are satisfied with accessibility to downtown by public transit

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.

About Montréal centre-ville

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.

About the Alliance for Downtown Montreal

The Alliance for Downtown Montreal is an initiative of the SDC Montréal Centre-Ville, which was created with the financial support of the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie du Québec to support initiatives aimed at concerting and revitalizing the area. The alliance is the result of a concerted effort by some forty decision-makers actively involved in the downtown area. It is part of the desire to perpetuate the unprecedented mobilization that was organized during the pandemic to maintain the strategic assets of the downtown area over the long term.

SOURCE Montréal Centre-Ville

Dany St-Jean, Media relations, Cell.: 514-212-5457