Niagara Falls Tourism: “It’s Time to Re-Open”

July 5, 2021 Marsha Mowers

Business and political leaders in Niagara Falls, ON have had enough and are banding together demanding the Federal Government announce a re-opening plan for Canadians.

With the second consecutive summer travel season now officially in jeopardy, the long-term effects of the pandemic will be severe. Many beloved Niagara Falls attractions are in danger of permanent closure.

In the Niagara Region alone, 40,000 people count on tourism for their paycheques.

“Families in our community rely on tourism and hospitality to put food on the table.  Many of these families have been out of work for more than 15 months,” said Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls.  “It is not just a priority for our sector, but a dire situation for Canadian border cities that a plan be put in place, that relies on science, to open the border, safely, now,” continued Mayor Diodati.

Eighty per cent Niagara Falls’ tourism revenue comes in twenty per cent of the time. July through Labour Day is disproportionately important to sustain the community; the large number of visitors in Canada’s summer months is able to sustain hospitality and tourism operators through the slower winter travel season.

Right across the bridge in Niagara Falls, New York, businesses are operating at full capacity. In the United States, Maid of the Mist boats are full, when the Canadian equivalent Niagara City Cruises – the number one attraction in the country – is operating at only 25% capacity.

Diodati spoke as part of The Canadian Tourism Roundtable, a cross-Canadian coalition of leaders in the tourism and travel sector – including representatives from airports, airlines, hotels, and chambers of commerce across the country – committed to working together to restart the sector smoothly and safely. The group says that Canadian travellers, the most vaccinated people anywhere in the world, are being left out of the travel equation.  Fully vaccinated foreign travellers are still unable to visit Canada, and this is leaving a devastating impact on local business.

“Niagara Falls and the surrounding region relies heavily on American tourists every year,” said Janice Thomson, President and CEO of Niagara Falls Tourism. “We don’t see Americans as international visitors; they’re our neighbours and friends – and together, we operate as a seamless community. Since the pandemic, that wonderful balance has been threatened. While American travellers don’t make up the majority of our visitors, they provide the vast majority of revenues to our businesses. We are at a point in time where we should be encouraging Canadians and other fully vaccinated individuals to start exploring our country again this summer.”

“Fallsview Casino and others like it are critical employers in the Niagara region, and without immediate action, we are at risk of losing out on a second summer travel season. Canadians are getting vaccinated, and our government should be rewarding this effort by setting out a clear re-opening plan,” Paul Burns, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association.

The coalition said they need to get their message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“For the first time in recent history, Canada’s top visitor experience – Niagara City Cruises – is about to experience a threatened second consecutive summer travel season,” stated Mory DiMaurizio, Chief Operating Officer of Niagara City Cruises. “Our businesses have undertaken significant efforts to ensure that Niagara Falls is a place that is safe to play, safe to work, and safe to stay. With recent progress on vaccinations and significant reduction in case numbers, the time has come for the federal government to provide Canadians with a clear path to fully re-opening, so we can save the summer travel season.”  

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