February 23, 2010

NEWS

City Tourism Costs
February 2010

The City of Niagara Falls budgets a large amount of money each year to support tourism.
Niagara Falls Tourism - $360,000
Niagara Falls Festival of Lights - $342,000

This amount of money is in addition to any government, corporate and business grants

Niagara Falls Illumination Board - $36,050
 

Falls Illumination
January 2010

The nightly Illumination of the Falls schedule is as follows:

January 1st to January 8th - 5 pm to 12am
January 9th to February 28th - 6:30 pm to 10 pm
March 1st to March 10th - 7 pm to 10 pm
March 11th to March 31st - 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
April 1st to April 30th - 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
May 1st to August 16th - 9 pm to 12 am
August 17th to September 30th - 8:30 pm to 12 am
October 1st to October 31st - 7 pm to 12 am
November 1st to November 2nd - 6:30 pm to 12 am
November 3rd to December 30th - 5 pm to 12 am
December 31st - 5 pm to 1 am

Parks Commission Opens Meeting to Public
January 2010

The Niagara Parks Commission recently held its first meeting open to members of the public under the direction of interim chairman - Archie Katzman. The public interest in attending this first meeting was substantial. The Niagara Parks Commission until now have held their meeting in private.

It is expected public meetings will become the norm and the Commission have indicated that at some point in the future, minutes and agendas will be posted on the internet in a similar fashion that the City of Niagara currently does.

Niagara Convention Centre
January 2010

The Niagara Convention and Civic Centre is to be built on the west side Stanley Avenue opposite Livingston Street in the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The $87 million dollar project is 231,000 square feet in size that includes a 100,000 square feet main exhibit hall,  31,000 square feet of meeting space and 100,000 square feet of support space.

The project is jointly financed by the Federal Government ($35 million dollars), the Provincial Government ($35 million dollars), the Falls Management Company ($15 million dollars) and the Fallsview BIA ($2 million dollars).

Construction is well underway with most of the the structural steel framework already in place

Battle of the Maids
January 2010

The Minister of Tourism for the Ontario Government Tourism has directed the Niagara Parks Commission to formally tender the Maid of the Mist boat tours in the lower Niagara River at the base of the Falls to all bidders despite the Parks Commission board previously voting overwhelmingly in favour of renewing the contact for the Maid of the Mist to the current owner/operator James Glynn. 

For 39 years, Glynn held an exclusive lease on public land, never having to face competition for the right to operate boat tours at the base of the Falls.

This direction from the Ministry of Tourism resulted in the resignation of Niagara Parks Commission chairman - Jim Williams.

US Border Security Increased
April 2009

The US Border Patrol is increasing surveillance along the Buffalo - Niagara International border between the USA and Canada with the installation of 5 additional surveillance towers along the border.

Cameras mounted on these towers can monitor movement of any person, vehicle or boat along the border.

Tourism Down 10%-15%
July 2009

Tourist operators are complaining that tourism is down this year 10% to 15% since the International Border Passport requirement became mandatory on June 1st 2009.

Passports Required June 1st 2009
April 2009

On June 1st 2009, it will be mandatory when crossing the USA-CANADA border to produce enhanced identification such as a passport, nexus card or enhanced drivers license. This is a requirement of both Canadian and American citizens.

Point of View
MY NIAGARA FALLS
 

For many years, tourism operators have said they have worked for the common good of promoting tourism in Niagara with one voice. They talk the talk but seldom walk the walk. Lip service is cheap and pats on the back are plentiful.

In times of economic difficulty, the industry is the first to point the finger of blame at anyone and everyone including each other or anything in order to deflect any responsibility. In the meantime, prices keep increasing while the quality of tourist services and value suffers.

It has gotten to the breaking point where people simply cannot afford to visit or stay for longer periods of time  because of exorbitant prices for meals, attractions and accommodations.

In Niagara, the tourist has become  nothing more than a "cash-cow" rather than a valued visitor. Quite often tourists leave Niagara Falls with negative feelings of being "ripped-off".

In truth, the tourism industry acts like a dysfunctional family, driven by greed and the cut-throat nature of their competition. Rather than working harmoniously for the common good of all tourists, the industry thrives itself on self-preservation at the expense of each other and especially every visitor to Niagara.

Some in the industry have forgotten two very simple facts. Firstly, visitors for the most part come to Niagara to see the mighty cataracts. The rest of the tourism industry is the financial beneficiary; a fact the industry often forgets.

Everyone in the tourism business seems to want to take credit for the successes of tourism in Niagara Falls.

Some have suggested the Festival of Lights has been the catalyst, while others would differ and suggest it is the marketing genius of the hotel owners or Niagara Falls tourism promotions while others would have you believe it is the result of the casinos' or city politicians. To some degree, all this is true.

While I agree, everyone involved in the tourism industry needs to take a well deserved bow for their respective contribution, let us not forget the most important anchor behind all Niagara Falls tourism.

The true success of Niagara Falls tourism is the waterfalls. Pure and simple. Without nature's gift of the majestic waterfalls and the gorge, there would be little or no tourism, no hotels, no casinos', no attractions nor any noteworthy festivals. Our twin cities wouldn't be known around the world as it is today as a world class destination.

Without the waterfalls the tourism house of cards would fall flat. There would be no money and very little new development.

The same cannot be said of the Falls. It is the diamond in the Niagara tourism tiara, for even without all the supporting development, money, casinos', hotels' and attractions - nature's Falls of Niagara will continue well into the future to be the center piece of all tourism along the Niagara Frontier.

Today, the industry of tourism has the tools and resources to make a tremendous impact and impression on every single visitor to Niagara Falls. The question is whether or not the tourism industry is prepared to put their own self interests behind those of our guests in order to make every visit an affordable and enjoyable event. 

Perhaps one day in the not too distant future, the industry will put side their greedy self interests and realize the collective benefits of working together in a unified tourism industry.

They might even create a positive and balanced climate where they can still make money and the visitor will be treated royally with an affordability that encourages them to return again and again. Then and only then will the true winner be the tourist and the tourism industry in Niagara Falls.      - Rick 10/02/13