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Small group discussion

Heritage & Cultural Tourism

Irene Rota, facilitator

Session 1:

Participants: Dorothy Furtney, Stan Rydelk, Kerry Mitchell, Tom DeSantis, Kerry Grant, Ross Robinson, David Colligan, Debbie Whitehouse, Betty Chetney, Noel Buckley...

Summary Statement:

The Niagara Falls Region has great diversity of heritage assets but with an uneven readiness/ investment/ ability to develop assets and strategies. The Niagara River should be the unifying framework linking what we have and telling our stories.

Opportunities:

  • Combination of tourist facilities arts & culture in both Canada and the US complement each other

Assets:

  • Industrial heritage such as

1. Hydro facilities; possibilities for tours at Niagara and Mohawk facilities

2. Grain elevators

3. Chemical industries

  • Linkages through Olmsted Park system, that include all elements of heritage.

  • Indian heritage.

  • War of 1812.

  • Underground Railroad.

  • Geological history.

  • Natural resources — river, lake, Falls.

  • Eco-heritage — parks, agriculture (agri-heritage).

  • Fine arts.

  • Maritime heritage.

  • Culinary, wine.

  • Amusement.

  • Built heritage.

  • Sports.

  • Performing and literary arts.

Obstacles to overcome/ What is needed:

  • Lack of inventories.

  • Creation of stories.

  • Understanding of stories.

  • Lack of coordination of local history (non-for-profit & private groups).

  • Political fragmentation (layers of government/partisan politics).

  • Buy-in from surrounding communities; coordinated marketing.

  • Understanding of visitors needs.

  • Dis-jointed understanding – Niagara is a place of nature.

Strategies:

(1 & 2 ranked the most important):

10 A bi-national coordinating and marketing organization (an umbrella organization) that provides leadership, includes membership of associations, organizations etc., is an information centre (see below for more details). It should include:

– Representatives from government, culturals, tourism industries, DMO’s (Destination Marketing Organizations), educational institutions (colleges & universities), private sector, interested corporate residents, environmental groups.

– Need to investigate how this type of organization can be developed and funded.

Resource development (including inventory/analysis) – a Master Plan, coordinated pursuit of funding from foundations, private sector, public sector

Bi-national youth leadership group.

Extension of an organization like NetCorp to include the entire region.

A regional historical organization that collects information

Bring in outside consultants in tourism resources.

Packaging.

Partnerships with private investors.

Establish standards of excellence, quality.

Next Steps:

10 Evaluate current resources (a Master Plan, inventory/analysis) including an assessment of cross-border marketing leadership and other initiatives.

20 Identify the champions.

 Message from the group

  • Coordination and leadership is needed.

 Session 2

Participants: Florine Luhr, Jack Wysocki, Ted Wlazlo, Ken Forgeron, Dave Brown, Don McGregor, Mike Krasner...

Summary Statement

The Region has a very rich and diverse collection of heritage and cultural assets which present a valuable marketing opportunity. Efforts should be made to maintain diversity but not to the point where it becomes obstructive (e.g. the international border – it is attractive to have a seamless border, however it is also exciting to know that you’re going from one nation to another and experience the diversity). We should identify and coordinate common assets.

Opportunities:

(to promote the region as a whole, one destination; the region is rich in diversity of assets)

  • For a seamless border as it was one time.

  • Excitement of having 2 national side by side and experiencing diversity.

  • Regional heritage themes common to the region include:

10 Aboriginal.

2. Military

3. Economic, trade, expansion

4. Transportation (canals)

5. Underground railroad

6. Industrial development

  • Connections e.g. through ferries, packaging.

  • Toxic tours.

  • Hydro tours

 Assets:

  • arts – festivals (e.g. Shaw, Artpark), theater, music.

  • Architecture.

  • Galleries, museums.

  • Historic houses.

  • Educational.

  • Rich ethnic culture

 Obstacles:

(overcoming parochial concerns, border issues need to be resolved)

  • Inaccurate impressions of the region.

  • Local resistance to promotion and bringing tourists in a new area.

  • Border issues — inequalities, bureaucracy.

  • Lack of funding for directions (regional maps & signage needed).

  • Non-accommodating attractions (e.g. hours of operation, financing, space...)

  • No continuity of heritage themes across the River (context for the content).

  • Lack of local pride

 Strategies:

(Coordination of inventories, marketing, funding, education; a bi-national coordinating body is needed e.g. like WRT)

  • Coordinated marketing plan; coordinated funds.

  • Inventories (information exchange, a publicly accessible data-base, use the Web, coordinate links).

  • Cross border coordination of tourist sites (eg. Visitors’ centres)

  • Cross-selling of tourist sites.

  • Leadership; organizing body (emerging from the bottom up; organized for example like a BIA).

  • Education

 Benefits

  • More diverse, ample product.

  • Longer stays, leading to economic benefits.

  • Employment opportunities.

  • Increased marketing opportunities.

  • Get to know your neighbors.

  • Improved quality of life.

  • Improve self-image.

 Next Steps:

(1 & 2 identified as the most important)

1. Inventory:

– Identify, evaluate sites

– Thematic grouping of sites, geographic and strategic grouping of sites.

2. Establish a bi-national coordinating group.

3 Publicize inventory (eg. Web); a champion is needed.

4. Buy-in by sites for a coordinated program

5. Market test

6. Develop a marketing program