Niagara tourism for March break

This may have been a long winter for you. But it’s felt even longer for the tourist industry in Niagara. The season usually ramps up when the temperatures start rising — but so far we’ve been stuck in the deep freeze.

It’s one of the most popular attractions in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s old town. Visitors usually scramble for a ride on the horse drawn carriage. But not this bitterly cold winter.

Shae Kitchen is with Sentineal Carriages: “We’ve been cancelling more days because of the weather. It’s been quite terrible this year.”

While tourist operators are saying this winter’s been difficult, businesses here along Queen Street in the old town have always complained it’s difficult to make a dollar when it’s cold outside.

There are people on the street in the old town today. But many of them appear to be window shopping.

Further down the Niagara parkway, Niagara Falls is weathering this winter very well.

“Certainly when we have the major storms, people cancel and don’t come. But strangely enough, we are a destination where people like to come to Niagara Falls for a break from the Toronto area.”

The hotels are full. In Niagara Falls there are a lot of indoor attractions — water parks and theatres and live entertainment. And this year, March break business has been bolstered by a big hockey tournament in the city.

Now the Niagara tourist season really doesn’t begin until the May 24th weekend.  But the positive indicators are that the American tourists are slowly coming back.  And the American tourists used to account for 70% of the summer business here.