Quebecers offer their top staycation ideas

Quebec's summer offerings attract floods of tourists to the province. Now locals themselves are deciding these easy-access tourism spots are the right place to spend their vacation.

A recent survey suggested as many as58 per cent of Quebecers are vacationing within the province this summer.

CBC Montreal's Radio Noon assembled a panel of tourism industry insiders to talk about the options for staycationers. Here are their top picks.

Montreal staycations

Tourism Montreal'sCatherine Morellon said the new public market in the Old Port, March des clusiers,is a must-see.

"You can go shop around and then just stay for the waterfront and the sun there,"she said.

• New market brings fresh food to Montreal's Old Port

Listeners called into Radio Noon saying some of Montreal's bike tours or the Red Bus tour are great ways to explore the city.

They also recommended going to one of the many farms around Montreal to pick fruitwith the family.

• Strawberry Fields Forever: Tips and tricks for Quebec's strawberry season

Quebecroad trip

Pierre-Paul Leduc, thegeneral manager of the Socit des Attractions Touristiques du Qubec suggestsheading out toGaspsie.

"When you're in PercVillage and you see the rock youthink 'Wow'. You feel like you're somewhere else," he said.

He also suggested heading to Tremblant for their summer Blues Fest which is on until July 17.

For history lovers

For a culturally enriching tripthere is also theCanadian Museum of History in Gatineau,which Leduc says is the most popularmuseum in Canada with 1.2 million visitors per year.

Their current exhibition looks at Napoleon's Parisian legacy.

Fit trip

Melanie Searle, a writer for Quebec Vacation Guide, suggested a fitness-based vacation with the Petit Train du Nord.

Its more than 230 kilometresof cycling trails go fromBois-des-Filion, just north of Laval, all the wayto Mont-Laurier.