CRUISES: WITH PROSPERITY COMES RESPONSABILITY

Every fall, the wharves of the Port of Québec come alive with international cruises. Majestic ships arrive from all over the world, bringing with them thousands of passengers ready to discover our city, our culture, and our history. And behind that striking image is an important truth: cruises are a tangible driver of prosperity for our region.

In 2024, the international cruise industry generated nearly $330 million in economic spinoffs for Québec, including more than $172 million for the Capitale-Nationale region. This puts Québec City first among the St. Lawrence port regions. That wealth isn’t just limited to passenger spending, either: it supports a massive local supply chain.

But beyond the numbers, cruises also play a unique role for Québec City: they give us a place on the world stage. With every ship that stops here, we get an invaluable chance to share and promote our culture, our hospitality, our products, and our knowledge. Like the airport, the highways, and the train stations, the Port has become a major gateway to the Capitale-Nationale.

Our local producers also benefit: last year, they supplied more than 424,000 pounds of produce, 40,000 dozen eggs, nearly 4,000 kilos of cheese, and seafood caught in Canadian waters, all for direct consumption on board the ships. A whole local economy thrives around these visits.

Thanks to cruises, the Port of Québec is able to fully embody its role as a driver of economic development for the region, benefiting citizens, businesses, and institutions alike.

At the same time, prosperity calls for responsability. As such, we have been choosing a more balanced, more respectful approach over the past several years. We have worked with our partners to implement a sustainable tourism plan for cruises, drawing inspiration from international best practices.

This plan is multifaceted; it aims to reduce environmental impact, better manage visitor numbers, diversify tourist attractions and services, and support the local economy. The Port’s Biosphere certification – a first in North America – is a testament to this long-term commitment.

In 2025, we will see the longest cruise season in our history: from January to November. It means that Québec City is becoming a year-round cruise destination, which is a major step forward in spreading the benefits over a longer period and reducing the pressure from the high season.

The growth of the cruise industry in Québec City has never been taken lightly. We have been nurturing it carefully, year by year, and always with the community’s input. For more than a decade now, the Forum sur les croisières internationales has been uniting merchants, hoteliers, citizens, cruise lines, and players in the tourism industry to work on our actions together.

We were one of the first ports in the world to cap the number of visitors per day, and we try to limit simultaneous embarkation and disembarkation wherever possible. We also coordinate with the city to plan each season: we make efforts to manage traffic, optimize stopover schedules, help merchants adjust their goods and services, diversify tour options, better include families, and much more.

We also recognize that cruises can cause frustration, which is why our approach focuses on continually improving our practices. We strongly believe that growing tourism responsibly isn’t just possible: it’s essential.

Being a modern port means much more than just hosting ships. It means being smart, sensitive, and responsible as we welcome the world. It means making sure that every visit does good – for our economy, our environment, and our people.

By balancing growth and relationships, innovation and cooperation, the Port of Québec is continuing to build a strong, open, and sustainable future.

And the next time you’re strolling along our wharves to marvel at a ship in port, know that you can be proud of this industry. Behind every stop, there’s a regional economy thriving, families making a living, and a sincere commitment to ensuring that cruises continue to be a proud part of life in our city.

Because here, as always, we see far ahead. Together.

– Olga Farman