From the Niagara Falls Review:
Niagara’s tourism operators hope Greg Sorbara’s got some inside information about the upcoming tourist season.
The Liberal MPP for Vaughn, who is touring Ontario while undertaking a tourism competitiveness study, told Niagara winemakers Tuesday while the number of visitors from near-border markets may be on the decline, “we’re doing things in this region and elsewhere in Ontario that are attracting people from farther away.”
Visitors from farther away – northern or eastern Ontario or another country – stay longer and spend more on meals, attractions, accommodations and souvenirs than those who make a day trip to Niagara Falls.
An increase in long-haul visitors can’t replace the dwindling numbers of Americans from the nearby rubber-tire market, but they can help bolster a flagging number of U.S. visitors, said Wayne Thomson, president of Niagara Falls Tourism.
“I think there’s definitely some merit in what he says,” Thomson said. “I’m cautiously optimistic for this season.”