A new direct flight route between Windsor and Montreal is creating opportunities for both cities.
Air Canada announced earlier this week that they would begin a new non-stop flight service between Montreal and Windsor. The service will be offered year-round and signals the first permanent non-stop route out of Windsor International Airport besides Toronto.
This new flight route is opening up a host of ideas for those who promote tourism in Windsor-Essex. In addition to those from Windsor who visit Montreal for its Gallic flair, its ethnic communities and Canadiens hockey, Lynnette Bain of Tourism Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island (TWEPI) says our region has plenty to offer Quebeckers.
"There are so many niche markets that are popular in the French community," says Bain. "Number one that comes to mind is birding, then cycling and the wineries."
Speaking to reporters at TWEPI's Staycation Expo, held Friday and Saturday at Devonshire Mall, Bain says she's hoping to come up with a strategy to cater to wine tourists. Windsor-Essex has a thriving wine industry thanks to its proximity to Lake Erie being conducive to wine production. The wine industry in Quebec, in contrast, is not as prevalent due to the climate there and a shorter growing season.
Bain says there are possibilities to combine wine and cycling into potential tourism ideas.
"There's not a lot of wineries in Quebec," says Bain. "They have fruit wines, and they have orchards, but wine is something that the residents of Quebec love, and they love cycling. So what a great pairing between cycling and wine that we can offer, and a quick, inexpensive flight to Windsor is a great option."
Beyond the niche industries that are marketable to Quebeckers, Bain says Windsor-Essex offers a vibrant festival season, a budding craft beer industry, shopping, and the city of Detroit across the river. She says TWEPI will work on a marketing strategy with tourism officials in Montreal to offer cross-promotional opportunities.
The Windsor-Montreal flight route begins on July 2.