Cottage rentals are still popular in the province, as some regions are already full for the summer.

• To read also: Chalets de la Sépaq: reservations for 2023 open on Saturday

Both the chalets of the Society of Outdoor Establishments of Quebec (Sépaq) and private rentals will be in demand this summer, due to the passage of many visitors.

With the gradual lifting of health measures, people still want to visit Quebec for the summer period. Depending on the location, only a few dates are available for the summer.

"As for cabins, ready-to-camp, it's true that reservations have been open for several months, it may be more complicated to find some for this summer," said Simon Boivin. , head of media relations at Sépaq at TVA Nouvelles.

Significant traffic

On the private rental side, owners are expecting a good season, too.

Éric Jean, owner of the Québec chalet rental reservation site for nearly 20 years, has observed significant traffic for remote regions, such as the Gaspésie and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine for the summer. He believes, however, that the past two years have broken records due to the pandemic.

"It's really booked in advance. We see that there are many more requests, I would say four times more chalets. I think the pandemic has made these regions now known or valued, ”he said.

But for large regions like Montreal, it is more difficult to assess traffic for the summer period now, since people “are more at the last minute”.

For his part, Jonathan Galarneau, the co-owner of the company Repère Boréal, which offers the rental of mini-homes in Les Éboulements, in Charlevoix, expects a good rate of reservations for the summer.

“It reserves well, we see a good enthusiasm. There is still some availability, but we are still a few months away [from the summer season],” he explained.

He believes, however, that the high season will not be able to beat the two previous years.

“With the fact that no one could leave the country, Charlevoix broke all its accommodation and occupancy rate records last summer. This year, it is possible that some accommodations will see a decrease because people want to leave the country,” he said.

2023 in sight

As a sign of the craze for chalets, reservations for Sépaq establishments for the summer of 2023 began on Saturday morning.

People took the opportunity to book their summer vacations in certain regions. Less than a sixth of the entire supply has been reserved, according to Simon Boivin. In some national parks, dates were already booked 14 months in advance.