Vacationing in the Gatineau Valley :
a promising niche
A French comedian once said that cities should be built in the country where the air is far better! Though this brings a smile to the faces of most people, approximately 20,566 people take this literally and flock to the Gatineau Valley territory each week to enjoy its tranquility and beauty.
The 2006 and 2014 studies on vacationers (owners of secondary residences) in the Gatineau Valley gave us an opportunity to find out more about these residents, pinpoint their needs and understand their habits as consumers. This is all information useful to businesses wishing to tailor their service and product mix to this specific clientele.
Highlights of these studies
Conducted in | 2014 | 2006 | Variance |
Number of secondary residences | 6,427 | 6,047 (2003) | +380 |
Total duration of stays in the past year | 79.9 nights | 67 nights | +12.9 nights |
Income | 37% $100,000 and over |
28.8% $100,000 and over |
+8.2 % |
Age | 59.3 years | 53.9 years | +5.4 years |
Where from | 81% Ottawa-Gatineau |
90% Ottawa-Gatineau |
- 9% |
Secondary residence-related expenses incurred in the Gatineau Valley | $52M* | $20M | $+32M |
* These expenses are mainly incurred in the following categories: hardware and construction materials, food (excluding restaurants), gas and fuel, alcohol (excluding restaurants), purchase and repair of motor vehicles (cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, quads, boats, etc.)