The cancellation of the next season of international cruises in Canadian waters, decreed last week by Ottawa, represents a hard blow for Escale Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

With the cancellation of the last season, the archipelago lost 56 calls, while the loss of autonomous revenue for the local organization is estimated at nearly 100 thousand dollars for the year 2020, not counting the spin-offs with local tourism partners.

Denis Bourque, Chef d'Escale Îles-de-la-Madeleine, is not to be discouraged, specifying that the 2022 calendar foresees 24 more ports of call that would bring more than 14 thousand visitors, passengers and crew members to the Islands.

For Denis Bourque, it is not a question of starting from scratch since the destination is already known to international cruise lines. In an interview (In French), Bourque explains he hopes to develop the clientele of the smaller expedition boats.

The Chef d'Escale intends to take advantage of the reorganization of international cruise lines to develop a new and attractive itinerary offer, in partnership with other Québec Maritime ports of call.