Issue Six

For far too long, tourism initiatives on each side of the Niagara border existed in an isolation that could best be described as “two solitudes.” It was a lingering dream of forward thinking tourism stake-holders in BiNational Niagara to somehow harmonize their efforts to promote the region with a view to generating tourism revenue. It was time to mutually showcase what is undeniably a world-class destination to the traveling public of both countries.

Adopting a vision that considers BiNational Niagara an internationally integrated economic region makes good economic sense. Politicians, tourism operators and average citizens on both sides of the border have long realized this, and their efforts to bring together the disparate partners are beginning to pay off. The group that is facilitating all this is the BiNational Niagara Tourism Alliance.

  The BiNational Niagara Tourism Alliance came together in January 2001 to work with cultural partners on both sides of the Niagara River who were interested in becoming more involved in the tourism sector. The effort soon received a resounding vote of confidence.

At a joint New York/Ontario Economic Summit hosted by New York Governor George Pataki and Ontario Premier Mike Harris in June, 2001, the two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance and strengthen binational trade and tourism initiatives in the area. Recognizing the fact that tourism is one of the major contributors to the area economy, they struck a BiNational Tourism Steering Committee to identify both barriers and benefits to the development of joint tourism initiatives in the region. The recommendations emanating from this committee endorsed the work already done by the fledgling BiNational Niagara Tourism Alliance (BNTA) and recommended continued support of the alliance's efforts.

A group of tourism and special events partners from both sides of the border, the BNTA's membership includes representatives from the arts, cultural, heritage, sports, food, wine, accommodation and numerous other tourism sectors. Together, they are working to develop the BiNational Niagara region as an international culturally-significant tourism destination. Their goal is to collaborate on marketing and program initiatives that celebrate the cultural, arts, heritage and tourism attractions that the region has to offer. BNTA wants to develop the BiNational region as a year-round international tourism and cultural destination, urging travelers to visit both sides of the river while they are here.

The Niagara BiNational Economic Region - the international metropolitan area that includes Halton, Hamilton and Niagara in Southern Ontario and Erie, Niagara and Monroe counties in Western New York - is a region blessed with a wealth of things to see and do. Some of it is already developed; much more of it is ready to be tapped. The area's amenities are the stuff of a tourism promoter's dreams.

It sits on a busy international border crossing; 60% of North America's population lies within a one-day drive; 4.5 million people in Metro Toronto with above average disposable income are an hour and a half away; the area is a world recognized geologic, biospheric and geographic treasure, and of course there is the thundering jewel in the crown, Niagara Falls.

With shared natural assets such as the Niagara Escarpment, Lakes Erie and Ontario, the Niagara River and the icon of the Falls, the partners realize there is much to be gained by working co-operatively, cross-promoting the exciting range of tourism and cultural products and services. Building on its successes, the program has expanded to include attractions in Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand and Norfolk in Ontario as well as Niagara, Erie, Monroe, Genesee, and other Western New York counties.

Especially significant is the large increase in advertising expenditures by casino operations, major hotels, wineries and the leading cultural attractions in both countries. Alliance members know that working with existing tourism and hospitality leaders will provide the more than 15 million annual visitors with reasons to extend their stay year-round.

Increasingly important is the opportunity to court the more well-heeled travelers with niche market products such as wine, fine dining, international caliber festivals, museums and art galleries, heritage sites, cycling, hiking and skiing. Attracting the higher-than-average income vacationer means higher yield returns on product investment.

Higher yields are badly needed these days. The spin-off from tragic events of September 11, 2001 reverberated nowhere more powerfully than in the tourism sector, with international air-travel still in damage-control mode. The fallout from 9/11 has been both a blessing and a curse for area tourism. On one hand, a jittery traveling public has tended to stay closer to home, displaying a marked reluctance to get on an airplane. Given the demographic picture in the eastern half of North America, this should encourage vacationers to make the relatively short, safe trip to Niagara.

Such a prospect has been somewhat hampered, however, by tales (mostly apocryphal) about difficulty at border crossings and long delays. For the most part, these concerns belong to the realms of urban legend, but for many potential travelers, perception is reality. It is a concern that BNTA is addressing, using its influence to lobby the authorities to make the crossing as painless as possible, consistent with the heightened demands of national security.

There is also much work to be done in the area of a closer liaison internationally with governmental agencies and promotional organizations. Traffic gridlock at peak times, competition without cooperation and lack of sufficient long-term funding for cross border initiatives are all dragons in need of slaying, and the BNTA partners are working on solutions to these problems.

Despite a relatively short history, the BiNational Niagara Tourism Alliance can look back on a host of successes. They produce summer and winter travel guides, conduct tourism-market readiness workshops, organize familiarization tours and trade exchanges for Cultural and Winery partners, support the “Be a Tourist in Your Own Town” promotion in Western New York, Hamilton and Niagara, and were responsible for the wildly successful BiNational “Doors Open Niagara” weekend in 2002. Revamped marketing materials and significant key events for 2003 will be announced at the upcoming BNTA Conference at the Queens Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake April 28 and 29.

In the grand scheme of things, it's early days for the BNTA. Tourism cooperation has been attempted several times over the past 20 years in the BiNational region, but never on this scale. The timing is perfect. The right partners, working together, jointly promoting the wonders of the area could well reinvent the tourism sector in the binational region, allowing both nations to share the economic and social benefits of tourism.