OUR VIEW: Don’t stop at the city line

The Tonawanda News

May 14, 2008 10:59 pm

— The Niagara Falls Tourism Advisory Board wants to make sure that the parks around the falls do their part to boost the area tourist trade.
At a meeting this week, board members impressed upon state parks District Director Mark Thomas the fact that the parks system should try to direct visitors to other attractions in the city. Sending them to restaurants and other businesses, they say, should be a primary function. And, for his part, Thomas agreed.
“We really believe we are a key component to the tourism picture,” said Thomas. And the head of the tourism group agrees the state has improved in that regard since Thomas took over the top spot. “It’s going to be a great partnership with him,” said Chairman Jerry Genova.
It’s wonderful that it’s all working out. But it’s not enough, not at least when it comes to the big picture. Whether the folks in the Falls like it or not, the scope of tourism in our area extends beyond the city limits. Not only are there attractions in the city, there is a lot to see and do in the rest of Niagara County and, dare we say it, the surrounding counties as well.
This region is at a crossroads when it comes to our economy. Some say its future depends largely on the visitor trade that can be developed and expanded. We agree. In fact, it’s puzzling to understand why the tourist business is not farther along than it is, given the head start provided by all that water falling over the cliff on the west end of town.
One reason might be the way tourism has historically been viewed here. It’s been keep the tourist lost and confused, take as much of his money as possible and send him on his way. It’s also been customary to be not all that helpful when it comes to informing visitors about attractions that might exist in neighboring communities, fearful that the tourists might spend some of their dollars there.
What businesses here often fail to see is that if visitors spend more time in the area, they’ll spend more money and the whole tourism business will benefit. Visiting Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, the locks in Lockport, the Carrousel Museum in North Tonawanda and even the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Darwin Martin House in Buffalo keeps tourists here longer. That’s good for everyone.
So, as the Niagara Falls tourism trade wants the state to aid its cause, so should the Falls businesses promote the attractions in the rest of the region. In that way, they not only get a piece of the pie, the whole pie grows as well.