Catharines – Niagara CMC fell by 36 per cent – from 10 per cent to 6.4 per cent. Suddenly hotels were open and busy 12 months a year, and more and more visitors were staying overnight.Ī cursory review of Niagara Falls Tourist and Economic Impact Statistics, prepared by the city’s business development department as of April 15, quite literally puts the lie to the Chamber’s complaints. With the advent of the casino all this changed. Tourism in Niagara Falls was a seasonal, half-year, day-trip business prior to the 1996 opening of Casino Niagara, with most hotels closing in late fall and re-opening in the spring, and an average tourist length-of-stay of approximately three hours.
I’m not quite sure what is driving the complaints and expectations of the Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce. Chamber survey reveals disappointment with casinos’ impact on city.
