Latest news with #VisitBuffaloNiagara
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
U.S.-Canada travel tensions raise questions ahead of tourist season
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — With summer nearly here, many are wondering how this tourist season will fare amid recent tensions between the U.S. and Canada. Both countries have updated their travel advisories recently, though officials stress there's no reason for alarm. For decades, the U.S. and Canada have each placed the other at Level 1 — their lowest travel advisory rating — and that status remains unchanged as of Thursday despite recent updates. In April, the Canadian government updated its advisory, telling citizens to 'expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices' when crossing into the United States. The advisory went on to say: 'Comply and be forthcoming with border authorities, and if you are denied entry, you could be detained.' On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State reissued its Level 1 travel advisory for Canada, continuing to consider it a 'safe destination.' The department also encouraged U.S. travelers to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergencies. 'Hopefully this designation will help relieve some of those fears or concerns on both sides of the border,' said Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara. 'We have always had a very strong relationship with Canada.' Mory Di Maurizio, chief operating officer of City Cruises Canada, said: 'A Level 1 travel advisory … I think the whole planet probably has a Level 1 travel advisory. Wherever you go, be safe, don't do dumb things. I don't think anybody's paying attention to it. I think they're paying more attention to, OK, what's the travel? What's the tariff deal? What's the current thing being talked about right now?' WIVB News 4 also spoke with the mayors of Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, Canada, who say summer is the perfect time to move beyond political tensions. 'Every time we hear something out of Ottawa or Washington (D.C.) — any kind of geopolitical comments and whatnot — I think most people have become a little desensitized. We've made up our mind. We're traveling, we're going there,' said Jim Diodati, mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario. 'We've been allies for more than 200 years. No matter what any politician says, we're going to continue having this incredible relationship hosting the world's longest un-militarized border.' 'I don't think that it's going to interfere with the good people of Western New York coming to Fort Erie, participating in some of the summer events that we have here,' said Wayne Redekop, mayor of Fort Erie, Ontario. 'And I hope it doesn't because everyone that I know is quite interested in having their friends and neighbors come back.' Despite the optimism, the U.S. Travel Association estimates a drop in Canadian visitors to the U.S. this summer, potentially resulting in over $2 billion in lost revenue. 'Canadians and Americans should just continue to live our lives the way we've always lived them and whatever's happening 50 levels higher than us, well, cooler heads will prevail, and they'll figure it out,' said Di Maurizio. Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tolls to increase at Rainbow, Whirlpool, Lewiston Queenston bridges in May
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Tolls are set to increase at three Western New York U.S-Canada border crossings in May, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission said Monday. Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge, and Lewiston Queenston Bridge will be affected by the change. Starting on May 1, standard passenger vehicles will be required to pay $6 ($8.50 CAD) from the current $5, while standard five-axle vehicles will be required to pay $34 ($48.50 CAD), a jump from the current $32. This is the first time since August 2022 that tolls have bumped up, going from $4 for passenger vehicles to $5, with hikes for buses, RVs, limos and trucks as well. The bridge commission said that increased costs of goods and materials as well as ongoing maintenance expenses have caused the costs to go up. The commission added that commercial traffic has remained similar or increased slightly as compared to this time last year, but auto traffic has 'substantially reduced.' In fact, border crossings for February were down over 14% compared to February 2024, according to Visit Buffalo Niagara. Destination Niagara USA said hotel occupancy is down 11%. Are political tensions impacting Canadian tourism in WNY? 'It is likely that this reduction is predominantly due to the existing exchange rate, which has historically impacted border crossing patterns, and to some extent the Buy Canadian campaigns and general uncertainty about the application of duties and taxes on consumer goods,' the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission said in a statement Monday. The bridge commission added that it has not received outreach from trucking companies as to how tariffs could affect their businesses. Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are political tensions impacting Canadian tourism in WNY?
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Tourist agencies in Western New York are sounding the alarm, saying that tourism from our northern neighbors is significantly down so far this year following political strain between the two countries. Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, said typically 35% to 45% of tourists in the area come from Canada — adding that the recent strain between the U.S and Canada might be to blame for these lower numbers. 'The cross-border numbers for the month of February were down 14.4% over February 2025 compared to February of 2024. Very concerning to us,' said Kaler. Destination Niagara USA shared similar numbers. President and CEO John Percy said hotel occupancy in the Niagara Falls area is down 11% compared to this time last year. 'I don't think that is necessarily due to the president's actions that took place after his inauguration,' said Percy. 'I think a lot of ours, unfortunately, was due to the weather. The cold temperatures and the snow, etc., really played a role into our numbers.' Both Percy and Kaler, when talking to other industry partners — like hotels, attractions and more — said they all have noticed a drop in the volume of Canadian visitors. Statistically, Kaler said travel decreased by over 14% from January to February. Due to this strain on relationships, Visit Buffalo Niagara has paused its advertising efforts in Canada and is now targeting other markets. 'We are going to some new destinations where we've never advertised before,' said Kaler. 'Through our research, we know that they come to Buffalo and they spend a lot of time, and they do spend a lot of money. So we're starting to go to Detroit, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia.' For Percy, Canada isn't an international border — it's another neighborhood for the region, one that plays a big role. 'When we lose business for Canada, we lose business from international countries,' said Percy. 'That affects sales tax in various communities and that will affect fire and safety and police force and everything else. Our sales taxes in a lot of communities, people don't realize are paid for by tourism.' Kaler added that lingering effects from the pandemic, an unfavorable exchange rate and newly imposed tariffs are also to blame for the drop in border crossings. Percy said that drops in tourism happened after 9/11, the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic — all events the region bounced back from. 'Fortunately, this is something that was manufactured by people, not a natural crisis or a downturn in economy,' said Percy. 'We are resilient in Niagara Falls. Travel is resilient to the ebbs and flows of our world.' Percy, also a member of the U.S Travel Association Board of Directors, will be in Washington this week to talk to leaders on Capitol Hill about this, making sure international relations remain strong. Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinions differ on proposed Buffalo hotel occupancy tax
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As the race to become Buffalo's mayor heats up, a top-of-mind topic is Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon's proposal for a hotel bed tax. At his State of the City Address last week, Scanlon said many hotel owners he spoke with support the idea — but not everyone agrees. WIVB News 4 sat down with Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara. Kaler said he heard speculation about the hotel bed tax idea, but did not officially get word of it from Scanlon until his address. 'We wouldn't be in this place possibly if we were able to have these conversations before,' said Kaler. 'We wouldn't have this tug of war between City Hall and our tourism industry.' Scanlon is looking to instill the proposed tax in order to bring money back into the Queen City. Scanlon said Buffalo has infrastructure that tourists utilize when they visit, such as the Buffalo Zoo and Shea's Performing Arts Center, but that they shouldn't be able to do so for free. Kaler feels differently, saying tourists pay enough by eating at local restaurants and shopping in Western New York malls. 'To have that kind of attitude doesn't necessarily fly with me,' said Kaler. 'I feel like our visitors are already paying their fair share when they come to our destination.' Erie County already has a 13.75% hotel bed tax, which would bring the total to 16.75% if this passes. Kaler said that would put Buffalo on an equal playing field with San Francisco. He believes it would make bringing people into Buffalo a real challenge. 'Meeting planners and sports rights holders when they're looking at a city and a destination to bring their place of business, those are the types of things that they look at,' Kaler said. 'Once this goes out, and if it would pass, it will be a story for the trade publications.' Kaler said as a Buffalo resident, he has concerns about the city facing a budget shortfall of around $50 million. But he said this tax will not generate a number even close enough to fill that gap. 'It will generate maybe $2 million,' Kaler said. 'Do you really want to put the city's reputation in jeopardy for that? Are there other ways to generate $2 million?' Kaler said that since the State of the City Address he has had conversations with Scanlon about what this could mean for the state of tourism in Western New York. Kaler hopes those conversations continue in the future. Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
