For the past 25 years, the Québec off-road vehicle industry has skyrocketed. If 129,000 ATVs were registered in 1993, the figures have nearly tripled today. There are likely a number of factors explaining this increase in popularity, mainly additional marked trails and the diversity in ATV models.
According to the Société d’assurance automobile du Québec and based on the studies commissioned by the FQCQ, economic fallout associated with ATVing are in the range of $600 million annually while related spending reaches $1.2 billion, making it an important, and somewhat vital activity for many regions of Québec.
More than employment opportunities, the off-road vehicles industry boosts local economies by increasing traffic. The interconnected trail network allows riders to access remote areas more easily, in addition to sustain other outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.
If ATVing attracts new visitors each year, it also strengthens the customer base and galvanizes an existing network. It makes no doubt for the FQCQ: the quad industry is still expending and it is adamant to pursue and maintain development activities.
The Market
| Year | Registered vehicles on December 31s | Members on October 31st | KM of trails | Member clubs on April 30th | New ATVs sold in Québec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 276 576 | 51 108 | 17 159 | 140 | 28 605 |
| 2002 | 257 993 | 43 867 | 16 436 | 130 | 37 303 |
| 2001 | 238 151 | 33 658 | 15 046 | 121 | 23 415 |
| 2000 | 222 596 | 31 711 | 11 334 | 109 | 21 816 |
| 1999 | 191 311 | 23 517 | 8 906 | 100 | 17 807 |
| 1998 | 175 026 | 16 644 | N/D | 95 | 11 117 |
| 1997 | 162 892 | 12 500 | N/D | 77 | 10 548 |
| 1996 | 156 194 | 11 000 | 8 227 | 72 | 8 663 |
| 1995 | 147 647 | 9000 | 60 | 9 238 | |
| 1994 | 138 172 | N/D | 53 | 9 812 | |
| 1993 | 128 901 | N/D | 51 | 11 429 |