From the St. Catharines Standard:
Tourism in Niagara has been kind of like the weather so far this summer: unpredictable.
Soaring gas prices, a slow U. S. economy, ongoing confusion over border crossing rules, a weak U. S. dollar, constant construction on the QEW and rainy skies have dampened this year’s tourism season in Niagara.
Pain at the pumps may cause some travellers to cut back on spending and rethink their travel plans, said Patrick Gedge, chief executive officer of the Niagara Economic Development Corp., which runs Tourism Niagara.
“There is just no predictability,” Gedge said. “When I talk to tourism operators, you know, one weekend is great, then the next week isn’t. Then the week after is great. They’re just finding it incredibly difficult to even make projections in terms of their business because it is highly erratic.”