Tourism Week in Canada May 29-June 4

I am writing this article as Niagara Parks wraps the second of two long weekends that start the traditional "summer tourism season" in Canada. The US Memorial Day weekend, along with the Victoria Day weekend prior, offered some promising uplift to our tourism recovery. This is good news as we mark Tourism Week in Canada this week (May 29-June 4). The last two plus years have challenged tourism operators around the world, ourselves included.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada has chosen as this year’s theme, ‘Travel Now. For work, life, and play,’ and aims to showcase Canada as the world’s premier tourism destination.?#TourismWeekCanada2022

Niagara Parks is a key demand generator for tourism, not only in Niagara but also for Ontario and Canada. We have a unique mandate as a provincial agency, balancing our environmental and cultural stewardship role with supporting tourism. Niagara Parks operates seven attractions, five full-service restaurants, two championship golf course locations, four heritage sites, retail shops, parking and transportation services, parks and trails and we work closely with our partners who operate Niagara City Cruises and WildPlay Zipline and Adventure Course.

I am incredibly proud of our Board and staff at Niagara Parks who have collectively stayed focused, despite very challenging situations, on providing great guest experiences, telling important stories, and offering engaging customer service.

Over the past two plus years, to support tourism, Niagara Parks has or is:

• Completed a two-phase $22 million renovation of our flagship site, Table Rock Centre, located next to the iconic Horseshoe Falls (including new retail store, restaurant, patio, entrance to Journey Behind the Falls, quick service food centre, welcome centres and guest washrooms)
• Opened a new attraction - the adaptive re-use of what is now called The Niagara Parks Power Station. The two-phase $25 million project has transformed a former dormant liability and created a tremendous new attraction. The first phase, opened in July 2021, has included the daytime experience of guided or self-guided tours of the generator hall (the cathedral of power!) and the spectacular evening sound and light show, Currents. The second phase, the Tunnel Attraction is on schedule to open to the public on July 1, 2022 (wait until you see the view on the new platform!)
• Collaborating with the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Town of Fort Erie, City of Niagara Falls and Parks Canada on a new initiative, launching in June 2022, called "Explore the Niagara". We are going to tell important and engaging stories around themes ranging from Indigenous, Black History, Nation-Building (War of 1812 and Fenian Raids), Active Living (Hiking, Cycling, Bouldering, Golfing), Horticulture, Sightseeing, Architecture and more
• Hosting speaker series on important topics such as our annual Indigenous History Month (taking place this June), Black History Month, and our Canadian Women's Authors series
• Continuing to support and promote local - from our FeastON certification of our full-service restaurants through the Culinary Tourism Alliance (where we buy and promote Niagara and Ontario food and beverage suppliers) to supporting Ontario and Canadian retail product suppliers
• Developing a launching a new (and first) Niagara Parks App to enhance our visitors' experiences
• Launched The Niagara Parks Foundation on Earth Day, to engage supporters on initiatives ranging from environment, heritage, active living, performing arts and conservation
• Collaborating with over a dozen hotel partners to offer a Select Accommodation Partner program, where we are working together to promote our collective guest offerings to more potential visitors
• Working with hotel partners to offer Golf Stay and Play packages, extending visitor stays in Niagara
• Partnering with Metrolinx to support weekend GO Train Service to Niagara, where Niagara Parks' WEGO Green line greets and picks up arriving passengers and packaging our attraction experiences to train passengers
• Working with Destination Ontario, Tourism Partnership of Niagara and Niagara Falls Tourism on a number of promotions such as hosting Breakfast Television for a live broadcast in Niagara Parks' Oakes Garden Theatre leading into the Victoria Day weekend; hosting New Day Cleveland morning show cast as well as CH Morning Live for summer promotions
• Supporting Niagara's hosting of the Canada 2022 Summer Games from August 6-21 with Niagara Parks hosting golf at our Legends on the Niagara course; hosting the closing ceremonies in Queen Victoria Park; and supporting the Town of Fort Erie with their "13 for 13" event at Old Fort Erie and the City of Niagara Falls' "13 for 13" event at Queen Victoria Park

And we do all this for our guests, our visitors.

Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed re-engaging with our guests and seeing our experiences through their eyes: like the family I spoke with yesterday who were visiting from Sudbury - they were in awe viewing the Horseshoe and American Falls as the morning sun made the water sparkle. Or the family from New York who had just finished visiting our attraction, Journey Behind the Falls, still wearing their yellow ponchos, soaked, but with big smiles on their faces. Or members of the British track cycling team, fresh off a competition at the Milton velodrome, making a quick side trip to visit the Falls. And the journalist from Japan, who was accompanied by Destination Canada's Managing Director from Tokyo, visiting Canada (and Niagara) for the first time. He was here to learn more about the Underground Railroad in Niagara, brought to life by Lezlie Harper who guided him on a full morning tour.

The Niagara Falls Illumination Board, for which I am proud to be the current Chair, will be lighting the Falls in green on May 31 at 10pm, to support TIAC's call for landmarks to be illuminated to raise awareness of the industry’s economic, social, and cultural importance. #GreenMeansGo

For more inspiration - our team has just published Niagara Parks' new Digital Visitor Guide - please check it out- available at: www.niagaraparks.com/explore

Enjoy exploring Niagara Parks this summer and enjoy Tourism Week in Canada!

#NiagaraParks #Niagara #NiagaraFalls #TourismMatters