| News

November 18, 2020 – Provincial government update on the COVID-19 pandemic

Here is an update on recent decisions and actions by the Québec government in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional support for the tourism industry

The minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, announced an additional $65 M to support the tourism industry that has been hit hard by the pandemic. This sum will be added to the $753-M Tourism Recovery Plan unveiled in June and to the adjustments announced earlier this month to the Concerted Temporary Action Program for Businesses (CTAPB) – Tourism sector, as well as to the program Assistance for Businesses in Regions Under Maximum Alert (ABRUMA).

Today’s announcement refers to immediate financial assistance and support for the post-pandemic recovery of the tourism industry. “We are responding to fulfil the immediate needs of entrepreneurs as well as to maintain our strategic assets, while giving the industry the means to look to the future, once the pandemic is over,” said Minister Proulx.

The additional sums will serve in particular to support the tourism accommodation sector ($38 M), to reduce the accommodation tax for establishments with 4 to 229 rooms by at least 30% for the second and third quarters of 2020, and to support Québec’s tourism gateways ($17 M).

Other measures will be taken to promote tourism on markets within and outside Québec ($5 M), to fund the recovery of business tourism in Montréal ($2.5 M) and to support the tourism labour force ($3 M).