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Key Selling Points

Cover of the tourist pamphlet of Metis Beach. On an orange background is written, in an alternation of black and white for relaxing, healthy summer holidays on the scenic Gaspé coast come to Metis Beach Quebec invigorating sea - air free from hayfever summer sports golf - tennis - swimming. A black and white photograph of a young woman in a bathing suit sitting on the beach divides the text into two sections.

Brochure

For Relaxing, Healthy Summer Holidays on the Scenic Gaspé Coast Come to Metis Beach, about 1950

Metis Beach Publicity Association

Les Amis des Jardins de Métis Collection

What were the key selling points for hotels and operators in the Gaspé? Was it price, comfort, hot running water or proximity to the seashore? None of the above is the answer. The key selling point used by many hotel and tourism operators in the Gaspé was “hay fever free”.

Hay fever afflicts as many as 30% of the population. It causes the nose to run, itchiness, swelling and sneezing. It is neither a fever nor related to hay, but an allergic reaction to pollens in the air, often caused by birch trees. Today, hay fever is treated by a range of pharmaceuticals. But in its day, it was the most common of allergies and particularly irritating to city dwellers. Desperate to find treatments or ways to reduce their discomfort, one solution was sea air.

The spruce forests and steady breezes along the St. Lawrence are the ideal cure for hay fever. And hoteliers did not miss this key selling point to differentiate the region from others.