Wallenda taking his case to tourism minister
From the Niagara Falls Review:
The Niagara Parks Commission slammed the door on Nik Wallenda Wednesday, but a day later Minister of Tourism Michael Chan opened it up just a bit.
Speaking with the Niagara Falls Review Thursday, the Ontario tourism minister invited Wallenda, a seventh-generation aerialist who wants to walk across the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, to come and speak with him.
“My door is always open. I welcome the opportunity to meet Mr. Wallenda,” said Chan, who confirmed he had nothing to do with the NPC’s decision to reject Wallenda’s proposal. “This particular project is under the watch of many, many people. It has huge interest around the world.”
Asked if he would stand behind the NPC’s ruling, Chan seemed to leave the door open, saying there are big issues at play.
“One of the major factors is economics. These are uncertain economic times. Jobs are important, the economy is important. That’s why, my door is open to listen to people,” he said.
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Wallenda makes high-wire walk case before Canada’s Niagara Parks panel
From the Buffalo News:
After a lifetime of staring down death atop a high-wire, Nik Wallenda on Wednesday faced a different challenge: persuading Canadian officials to let him walk a wire across Niagara Falls.
Unlike the high-wire acts that made his family famous, Wallenda won’t know for weeks whether this attempt was a success.
Wallenda on Wednesday presented his wire-walking plan to Canada’s Niagara Parks Commission, which controls the area around the famous cataracts.
“This isn’t a stunt to me,” Wallenda told the commission. “I’ve been doing this my whole life. This is life to me.”
The event would draw between 60,000 and 125,000 spectators, depending on the weather, and infuse the economy with up to $20 million, said consultant Michael Harker.
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Political parties not ignoring tourism, say candidates
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Tourism may not be as prominent an issue in this provincial election as it was in 2007.
But candidates representing the three major parties looking to form government after Oct. 6 are adamant they’re not overlooking an industry they say is so vital to Niagara’s economy.
During the provincial election four years ago, tourism had its own section in the Liberal, Progressive Conservative and New Democratic platforms.
For example, then PC leader John Tory promised more money for marketing.
Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty pledged a “comprehensive competitiveness study,” which led to a $4-million report, which in turn led to the creation of regional tourism organizations tasked to make Ontario’s tourism industry more competitive with other destinations around the world.
While there were specific promises for tourism in 2007, this time around, there are few.
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State Parks Commissioner Outlines Niagara Falls State Park Improvement Plans
From WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo:
New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Rose Harvey on Tuesday outlined a three-part plan to ensure that Niagara Falls State Park offers a welcoming and attractive visitor experience that matches the natural beauty of the Niagara River falls and gorge.
“Governor Cuomo’s administration is fully committed to revitalizing New York’s economy, and Niagara Falls State Park is a critical part of the economic future of Western New York,” Harvey said. “The facilities at Niagara Falls State Park need to match the expectations of 8 million visitors coming from around the globe each year to see the iconic falls. State Parks staff takes great pride in the park and we will dedicate ourselves to improving and enhancing the facilities that complement the falls.”
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EASTER WEEKEND BODES WELL FOR 2011 NIAGARA FALLS TOURISM SEASON
From the Niagara Falls Reporter:
If Easter week is any sort of barometer, the 2011 tourism season is going to be an exceptionally good one for Niagara Falls. Tourists were out en masse, and even the reality of $4-per-gallon gas prices did not keep them from traveling to see the world’s most famous waterfall.
The Hilton Fallsview and Suites in Niagara Falls, Ont., was filled to capacity with guests representing states from all over the union, along with a number of European, South American and Middle Eastern countries.
No one seemed to be clutching their wallets too closely, as they freely spent on sightseeing, attractions, shopping and food. All of this came despite the fact that the area’s top attraction, the Maid of the Mist boat ride, was dry-docked due to unseasonably cold weather that caused a very late release of the Lake Erie ice boom.
The Cave of the Winds and the Journey Behind the Falls operated at diminished capacity. The Cave could only allow visitors a ride to the base of the American Falls, as their famed wooden decks have yet to be rebuilt for the season, while the Journey dealt with falling rock that closed their outside observation decks to visitors in the early part of last week.
With the dawn of another busy and profitable season upon us, it seems the proper time for a primer as to how all local residents can best be prepared to handle and augment the big tourism push that fuels the economy of our city and county.
Nothing frosts the hardworking people in the tourism sector of Niagara Falls, N.Y., more than when they hear tales from tourists that locals seem to go out of their way to send people across the border to Canada.
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Chasing smokestacks is just ‘wishful thinking,’ experts say
From the Niagara Falls Review:
High-rise hotels, like the 53-storey Hilton that opened last year, have replaced smokestacks as the symbol of where the jobs are in Niagara Falls.
It’s a sign of Niagara’s changing economy and evidence municipal leaders have to be able to adapt to new economic trends, say experts who monitor the health of Niagara’s economy.
The idea that any economically challenged region can revive the days when big factories employed thousands of people is just “wishful thinking,” says Charles Conteh, a Brock University political science professor.
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Falls important for Ontario tourism: Minister
From the Niagara Falls Review:
As Michael Chan met with several of Niagara’s tourism officials this week, he said one thing became abundantly clear.
“I think the Niagara region is in a really good position moving forward. I’m very hopeful for the future of tourism in the area,” Ontario’s tourism minister told The Niagara Falls Review during his day-long tour of the peninsula Wednesday.
While mayors, economic development officers and others with a stake in the local industry continue to raise concerns about the economy, currency exchange fluctuations and border-related challenges, bright lights can be seen on the horizon, Chan said.
Construction of the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre in Niagara Falls, a motor speedway proposal in Fort Erie and the formation of a regional tourism organization will put the area in good stead come the future, he said.
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In business, we have to look for new tourism possibilities
From the Niagara Falls Review:
The Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce is reflecting on business activity during 2009 and wondering how the year before us will play out. An old friend told me once there are always possibilities.
But we have to find them. We hope in 2010 we will find new possibilities on working together to find ways to strengthen our economy here in Niagara Falls.
One sector in the business world for Niagara Falls is tourism. There is no doubt this sector has grown over the past several years. While the Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce encourages and supports diversity, we also recognize the need to continue to grow the tourism sector.
Why?
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Cheerleaders head over heels in Niagara Falls
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Passports, the economy and cheerleading might not seem to have a lot in common, but they do.
Just ask Nick Nero, organizer of the 26th annual Festival of Lights Cheerleading Championship competition held in Niagara Falls on the weekend.
Teams from the United States, which in past years have brought a lot of business into the honeymoon capital, are staying home.
That’s because many Americans still don’t have passports so they are staying on their side of the border.
“We are down about 40 per cent all because of passports and the economy in the United States,” said Nero. “We just have to bit the bullet this year and hopefully things will pick up again.”
The three-day event, which began on Friday at the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena, is always well attended by teams from the United States, but that trend has been changing. And, with the American and Canadian dollar being so close in value, there is less incentive for Americans to spend there money here, where they once enjoyed a 20 or 30 per cent exchange rate.
“We are just like any other business in Niagara Falls. Everyone is feeling the pinch right now. At one time we were able to book a thousand or 1,200 hotel rooms, but right now it’s probably around five or six hundred,” said Nero.
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