Tourism in the spotlight: Montreal mayoral candidates debate the city’s touristic future

Montreal mayoral candidates Soraya Martinez Ferrada of Ensemble Montréal and Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal debated tourism Monday morning at Place des Arts.

They discussed plans for festivals, public spaces, and major venues, while also addressing safety and cleanliness, issues that both visitors and residents say affect the city’s appeal.

Martinez Ferrada said she had reviewed reports on visitors’ experiences and found recurring concerns about cleanliness, signage, and poorly managed roads. She argued Montreal lacks ambition compared with other Canadian cities.

“We have to look forward 10 years,” she said. “Other cities are investing to attract more people and events. It’s not normal for Montreal to be behind Calgary.”

She added that tourism should be seen as a lever for economic and cultural development, something she says the current administration has neglected.

Local residents and visitors echoed those concerns.

A French couple visiting the city said they were surprised by the filth and the number of people experiencing homelessness. “I’m very surprised by the state of this city, the filth, the population. There are junkies everywhere. It’s not very safe,” they said.

Ruth and Neil, from Northern Ireland, said it was difficult to find shops, with many stores tucked behind doors and nothing on the street to draw visitors in. “We’ve been seeing quite a lot of homelessness. It’s a wee bit sad to see that,” they added.

Kien Cecile, who has lived in Montreal for a year, said ongoing construction and roadblocks make it difficult to get around. “If they have to do construction works, it should be planned and done as fast as possible. Sometimes when you want to go somewhere, you take an Uber or taxi, but it’s blocked. You’re kind of lost,” she said.

Mohammad Mobed said littering remains a concern. “In some places, I see littering on the streets. That is a little disconcerting. I wish, in terms of cleanliness, we would be doing better. The city should take as much as it can handle. If they sense a problem, I am sure they have good reason for these things,” he said.

Some Montrealers also said the city should invest in larger venues to attract international events. Siaka Soro noted that apart from the Olympic Stadium, Montreal lacks spaces capable of hosting something like the World Cup. “I find that quite unfortunate for Montreal,” he said.

For Rabouin, Montreal is already a top destination, but he said the city must remain fiscally disciplined. “We are already a great city. People from all over the world come to Montreal because it’s a great city,” he said.

He added that municipal finances are a priority. “At the city, I know we have to present a balanced budget. We have to set priorities, and mine is housing, to give a roof over the heads of all Montrealers,” he said.

Rabouin also promised to reinforce cleanliness in the downtown core by doubling resources for city cleaning brigades.