“We are always looking for the positive after a couple years that have been pretty dark for all of us,” said John Percy, President of Destination Niagara. ”There is the good news and the bad news of border restrictions due to Covid.”
The good news is that tourism in Niagara USA bounced back in a more positive way than anybody had anticipated this past season. The bad news is that the ongoing restrictions continue to make it harder to do business, not only within the binational visitors market, but also in the lucrative market of international leisure tourism.
”We are looking forward to a great year on the leisure travel side. Projections show a good year, as strong as or better than 2021,” said Percy, who is very bullish on the upcoming season, “especially if the numbers drop from Covid.”
While regional travel and retail markets picked up some of the binational the slack in the past year, the pent-up travel demand that has come about as a result of coronavirus restrictions, and concerns surrounding the pandemic, leaves Percy hopeful for significant economic benefits as things return toward normalcy.
Whenever that may be.
“It looks like we are seeing the realization that covid is endemic rather than pandemic, and hopefully that will take it off the lead in the media. That should help unleash some of that pent-up travel demand” Percy said.
With the group’s newest responsibility, having taken over the marketing and management of the downtown conference center at the beginning of this year, he’s juggling a lot of tasks, the ongoing destination marketing of local leisure tourism, overseeing all the managerial and administrative aspects resulting from the transition into the new assignment, and diving head first into the convention and meeting destination marketing that accompanies the new mission.
While he’s clearly got a lot on his plate, he sounds an optimistic note about it all.
“I think this will create new synergies, it will take a little while for us to get the new pillar in place but we are going to be more cohesive with the messaging and strategies. In the long term, that will mean better outcomes for the building, but also for the community.”
Some plans for the upcoming season have already been announced for example, the Blues fest will be returning to Old Falls Street this year. Other plans, he said, are near completion, “stay tuned.”
