You may not be aware, but Niagara is a bustling hub of activity that extends beyond the famous falls and wineries that draw millions each year. Whether you are into theatre, sports, comedy, family entertainment or live music we have something for everyone.
Here is a taste of who is in town for July 2023:
Northern Ontario is a vast region known for its stunning landscapes, rich natural resources, and unique cultural heritage. There are several worthy explorations in this part of Canada that offer a variety of experiences. Here are some top recommendations:
Killarney Provincial Park: Located on the northern shores of Georgian Bay, Killarney Provincial Park is renowned for its rugged beauty. The park features stunning pink granite cliffs, crystal-clear lakes, and pristine wilderness. Hiking the scenic trails, canoeing, or kayaking the waterways, and camping in the backcountry are popular activities here.
Manitoulin Island: As the largest freshwater island in the world, Manitoulin Island offers an array of natural wonders and cultural experiences. Explore the island's picturesque landscapes, including lakes, forests, and stunning shorelines. Visit the indigenous communities and learn about their rich history and traditions.
Polar Bear Provincial Park: A trip to Polar Bear Provincial Park is highly recommended for adventurous wildlife enthusiasts. Located along the Hudson Bay coast, this remote wilderness area is home to polar bears, black bears, wolves, and other wildlife. Guided tours provide opportunities to observe these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
Lake Superior Provincial Park: Situated along the northeastern shore of Lake Superior, this park offers breathtaking views of the lake and diverse activities. Explore scenic hiking trails, including the world-famous Coastal Hiking Trail. You can also enjoy fishing, paddling, camping, and swimming in the park's pristine lakes and rivers.
Thunder Bay: This city serves as a gateway to the north, blending urban amenities and natural beauty. Visit the Terry Fox Monument, explore the Fort William Historical Park, or take a trip to the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, known for its iconic rock formation resembling a sleeping giant.
Agawa Canyon: Located near Sault Ste. Marie, the Agawa Canyon is accessible by the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, which offers a picturesque journey through the wilderness. Marvel at the scenic vistas, cascading waterfalls, and ancient rock formations. The canyon is particularly stunning during the fall when the foliage turns vibrant colours.
French River Provincial Park: This historic waterway was a major trade route during the fur trade era and is now a popular destination for paddlers and nature enthusiasts. Explore the river's interconnected network of lakes and channels, go fishing, or hike the park's trails to discover its natural beauty.
Remember to check the local regulations, weather conditions, and any necessary permits or reservations before embarking on your explorations in Northern Ontario.
TRAVEL IS ON THE RISE. IT'S TIME TO RE-ANALYZE NIAGARA BOUND TOURS & TRAVELS, ISN'T IT?
One of the most exciting prospects of life this year is that a more welcoming invitation to travel has returned. Although not in the manner we were once accustomed, the less restrictive ability to freely explore has been tremendously refreshing. Despite difficulties faced by the tourism industry, such as inflation and labour shortages, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)[1] has projected a strong decade of growth on the horizon. With average annual increases of 5.8% between 2022 and 2032, it outpaces the overall economy growth rate of 2.7% per year. Research is showing a strong case for the global tourism industry to return to 2019 levels by the end of 2023.
Travel in Canada has shown similar improvement this year. While data remains below pre-pandemic levels, tourism spending has consistently increased and the trajectory towards complete recovery at a national level is also very strong. Canada began the year with $15.7 billion in tourism spend for Q1, and although it was a mere 1.3% increase to the previous quarter, it saw a 19.8% increase in Q2 coming in at $18.7 billion.[2] While domestic travel has outperformed international over this past year, Destination Canada shows total traveller arrivals from international marketing making a comeback, with positive trending in both 2020 and 2021.[3] To experience a flourishing sector, plans must be manifested to intentionally attract a larger inbound audience, especially in Niagara.
With Ontario owning 42.7% of all travels to Canada[4] and the global travel climate opening, Niagara possesses a substantial opportunity to expedite its own tourism recovery. Earlier this year, the Tourism Sentiment Index released the 50 Most Loved Destination in Canada, with Niagara ranking 3rd place[5], only further confirming what we already know – that people all around the world have a desire to experience what Niagara has to offer.
Considerations to Attracting More Niagara Bound Tours & Travels
Tourism has always maintained its position as a key sector in Niagara, attracting tens of millions of visitors a year and more than $2 billion in expenditures.[6]. Stability, however, also brings risk of stagnancy and complacency. With the resurgence in travel, we challenge Niagara to consider diversifying its approach to inbound tourism with a few key considerations.
Strengthen Marketing Initiatives
Wanting a destination vacation is one thing, especially a destination as widely recognized as Niagara. Knowing where to go and what to do once they arrive is another thing all together. When reviewing other destinations such as New York, London, or Singapore, there is a vast distinction with messaging across several channels. A variety of itinerary-based travel recommendations, multi-day packages and promotions are highly prevalent.
Target New Segments
Proactively research trending travel behaviours and identify which audiences Niagara can add the most attractive value to, such as cycling, fishing, sports entertainment, and sustainable tourism. Each of these segments represent a robust financial picture worthy of targeting. Take fishing for example. Future Market Insights (FMI) released its 2022-2032 Market Outlook report showing that Fishing Tourism represents an estimated $78.5 billion in key global markets.[7]
Maximize MICE Travel Opportunities
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) is a year-round business, offering tremendous benefit to offsetting seasonality trends and mitigating resulting challenges related to employment fluctuations and labour shortages. Spending patterns reported by the WTTC1 indicate that pharmaceutical, manufacturing and construction industries are resuming travel of this nature ahead of others. Expand beyond tradeshows and expos and target those niche markets by utilizing digital channels and tailored messaging.
Diversify Accommodation Supply
International travellers have varying accommodation expectations, with many seeking a comparable world-class experience as other competing destinations have provided. Expanding our accommodation footprint to include more luxury and boutique options would be a wise investment. The further addition of accommodations sprouting beyond the centralized area in Niagara Falls is also befitting to a more regionalized approach to welcoming inbound tourism.
Improve Transportation Strategies
Spanning more than 1,800 square kilometres, Niagara includes twelve municipalities each with their own towns worthy of exploration. Destinations that are focused on implementing smart transportation technologies and creating unified partnerships tend to deliver a more accessible and convenience transportation experience. The easier it is for tourists to get around, the easier it is for them to spend across the community in which they are visiting.
Overall, the data surrounding tourism and travel trends presents an optimistic outlook for 2023 and beyond. As socio-economic climates continue to evolve and inflation begins to decrease, those trends are only expected to strengthen. By implementing a more modernized, cohesive approach to attracting tourists, Niagara would be well-positioned to capture more inbound tourism, increase stays and gain from more international spending.
Sources
1 https://wttc.org/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/2022/EIR2022-Global%20Trends.pdf
2 https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/travel_and_tourism
3 https://www.destinationcanada.com/en/research
4 https://www.investontario.ca/tourism#tourism-video
5 https://www.sentiment-index.com/most-loved-canada
6 https://niagaracanada.com/key-sectors/tourism/
7 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/fishing-tourism-sector-overview-and-analysis
Canada has rolled back the final Covid restrictions for travel, including masks on planes; we are truly back to normal. For me, the progression back to normal has been fascinating. During 2021 and 2022 my work required me to complete occasional travel across Canada and the US. As both countries loosen restrictions that travel has increased and the changes are remarkable.
Over the past year, Canadian adherence to the guidance from public health experts was admirable. Masks were everywhere and usage only started to slip in airports and planes in the last few months. With this adherence to strict policies came reassurance from the European CDC and International Air Transport Association (IATA) that risks for air travelers were acceptably low. The IATA cited that even on the high end, estimates of covid infection on airplanes was around one case for every 2.7 million travelers.[1] That estimate may be too liberal according to a recent study at MIT[2], but it’s clear that air travel was greatly aided by the safety measures put in place internationally. Yes as recently as the end of 2021, restrictions were being quickly rolled back in the US and across large parts of Europe and South America. In a striking demonstration of efficiency, any trace of social distancing or covid restriction has been scrubbed from the dozen US airports I’ve traveled through in the last 6 months. It’s a tribute to the resilience of humanity as well as our ability to quickly forget that which makes us uncomfortable.
Regardless of your comfort level with covid protocols, a trip through an airport or on public transit at the beginning of this year was sure to include pointed looks if you failed to properly mask and socially distance yourself. By the end of summer, a casual use of masks and the normal airport crowding became commonplace. At first, it felt uncomfortable. After two years of wearing a mask, keeping your distance, and sanitizing hands constantly, a lack of personal space felt offensive for some and alarming for many. According to Sahar Tirmizi, a frequent business and leisure traveler from Toronto: “There are moments where I think we’re back to pre-endemic levels however subtle reminders remain. Mask presence is just one, but also the presence of more sanitizing stations, the sanitation provisions on planes, and the half-thought that someone is judging me for sneezing or coughing.” While the government’s guidance may state we are back to normal, the little voice in the back of my head will take more time to get comfortable with a full return to pre-pandemic life. Stephanie Bromwichs, a newlywed on her way back from a honeymoon in Mexico, shared that she was more confident traveling in recent weeks despite the lack of regulation because she experienced being stranded abroad during the Omicron surge. “That fear of being trapped alone in a hotel room indefinitely has now left my mind and provided me with some peace of mind that I can come home when scheduled. That said, I do feel trepidation over the recent changes made on Oct 1st of a mask free experience. I felt a weird sense of security with my mask on when those around me would cough.” Bromwichs and her new husband Harry won’t be the only ones with mixed emotions about this final regulatory change.
An interesting, and frustrating, by-product of these two years of quarantines and restrictions is our general loss of good travel habits. You likely watched the evolving saga of Toronto Pearson buckling under the burden of the dramatic return of air travel. The rigid, practiced stream of business travelers that marched through those halls back in 2021, belts off and toiletries out, are now outnumbered by the masses of leisure travelers. Laptops and liquids caused screening lines to back up and the airport security teams quickly faced the collective wrath of a newly freed public dying to see a new skyline. While security lines and baggage claims are started to recover, travelers should expect months of more metering deplaning and long lines in customs.
I agree with Bromwichs when she says “I am actually much more comfortable now, as a vaccinated person, to travel!.” Airlines and airport teams are working hard to deliver smooth, uninterrupted trips. Vacation destinations around the world are starving for tourist dollars and are thrilled to welcome you back. However, the supply will take time to meet this new rush of demand. According to employees at Air Canada and Delta, airlines struggle to bring furloughed staff back to the sky when so many now have a taste for the work from home life. The staff who manned their posts through the pandemic are facing burnout. Both ground and air operations will face challenges returning to pre-pandemic levels of staffing and capacity for at least another six months. While the world is once again my oyster, I think I’ll stick to domestic trips this fall and winter to avoid the frustration.
[1] https://tc.canada.ca/en/binder/risk-covid-19-transmission-aboard-aircraft | [2] https://news.mit.edu/2022/covid-19-odds-plane-0728
You’re invited, let’s go!
The world is a fascinating place, especially when granted the opportunity to explore. With barriers removed, there is little reason to leave it uncharted.
Travelling exposes endless opportunities to learn about other cultures, to experience new things and places, or to simply escape your everyday life and regain internal balance. Some may argue that there has never been a better time in history than right now to see the world. Not only because we can do so with similar freedoms that were once taken for granted, but also to gain perspective on our own lives that have likely undergone substantial change. Travelling often reminds us how small our troubles may seem in comparison to the vast complexities of the world. While it may be overwhelming at times, it is also incredibly liberating.
Projected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) predicted a 5.8% annual average growth rate compared to a mere 2.7% estimated for global GDP.
As people prepare to get back out there and explore, there is a new demand for safety precautions and elevated cleanliness. Some airlines are taking extreme measures to reduce potential anxiety; however, it is anticipated that many will opt to travel by car during 2022 and be more open to flights in 2023. Accommodation enhancements such as digital room keys, contactless concierge services and digital messaging have become standard and overall digitalization of customer interactions has accelerated leveraging robotic fusions and facial recognition technology.
The hospitality industry is also catering to a shift in dynamic where business travel is concerned. With the post-pandemic blend of work and life, joined by the substantial increase is remote working arrangements, the demand for co-mingled business and leisure travel has increased. Properties are offering competitive long term stay packages while ensuring access to a variety of comfortable and flexible workspaces.
Restricted to travelling between various indoor and outdoor spaces of their homes, it stands to reason that authentic experiences are a highly sought-after trend moving into 2023. Mainstream tourism adventures and conventional destinations are not in the same demand they once were. People are seeking more meaningful connections and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
The predictions and trends speak for themselves. There is a desire to travel, and a demand to do so differently. Forecasted to generate a GDP of more than $8 trillion in 2022 and $9 trillion in 2023, the long-awaited recovery of an industry arguably hit the hardest, the future is bright.
With obstacles eliminated, safety measurements increased and destinations reinventing themselves to deliver new and desirable experiences, it is time to consider what your next adventure looks like. Every form of travel offers a life-changing experience. Like an open book, you discover new ways of thinking and interacting with the world around you as each page turns. Travelling is an opportunity to meet new people, see new places and learn about yourself and others. Time to discover what you want out of life, where you fit in this world, and how to enjoy a better quality of life.
