NIAGARA FALLS N.Y. (WKBW) — When you think back to 2020, a time when travel was nearly at a standstill, it's hard to believe that just a few years later, Niagara County is celebrating a tourism milestone.
"I was completely elated," said John Percy, President & CEO of Destination Niagara USA. "I never thought...in my lifetime that I would see tourism surpass a billion dollars."
But it did in 2023, reaching a total of $1,082,000 in tourism spending in 2023, an 11.7% increase from 2022.
What's behind this boost?
Percy says it's no one organization; it's hotels, food and beverage, attractions and people across the county who contribute to that number.
But he points to three key factors:
- Revenge travel (pent-up demand post-COVID)
- Accessibility/affordablility
- International travel bouncing back
"It's been 43 years trying to get here," said Ruby Finnery, who's visiting with her husband Michael from Dallas. "Everybody was talking about it, so we finally decided let's go this is it, we're here and enjoying every second."
And when Niagara County makes money, neighbors save money.
"If tourism wasn't in here at the level that it is in Niagara County, they would pay an additional $1,205 dollars, per household in Niagara County," said Percy.
So how do you keep that momentum going?
"We have to challenge ourselves," said Percy. "We want that new market that we haven't tackled before and we also are really proactively working on international business,"
Percy says things look good, if not better, in 2024.
