Comments on: Public, council deserve to know how much extra tax hotels collect

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:39:24 +0000

Why does this industry feel the need to add additional fees to their products? When I purchase any other product, the company has already built into the cost of the product marketing initiatives. Why can’t this industry do the same thing?

By: Graham

Graham — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:32:52 +0000

I don’t know how exactly to respond…
If Hospitality Worker does work at a hotel, then apparently he or she is blind to the problems in the city.
A couple of points…
If there was a problem with Niagara Falls Tourism, then it is more likely that the hotels participating in it have problems.
The DMF is revenue, plain and simple. It’s not a tax as it is often made out to be. If locals have problems, then it is safe to assume the tourists have the same problem with it. If that, in turn, affects whether people return, then tax payers wanting an audit of the program is certainly justified.

By: Hospitality Worker

Hospitality Worker — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:48:34 +0000

I am employed by a hotel in Niagara Falls, and I can tell you that the money our hotel has collected is indeed being used to fund a convention centre and to market this area and our hotel. And although I cannot vouch for the other hotel…where do you think this $35 million dollars came from then? Did it ever occur to you that there might be a very good reason that the hotels have not “handed over” this money to Niagara Falls Tourism, and that it might have something to do with the past performance of Niagara Falls Tourism, and their lack of financial accountability? Finally, it surprises me that the residence of Niagara Falls are so concerned with this DMF Fee. They don’t pay it. It is not an additional charge to them. It is a fee that is paid primarily by visitors to help us to continue to promote and enhance the area. Local residence would never be charged it, unless they reserve a hotel room, and even then, it is often not charged to local residence. The comment “it would be nice for tax payers to see an audit of the program” is unjustified.

By: Fallsview

Fallsview — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:06:30 +0000

I’m with you 100% Graham, it’s pure greed at hand!