Erie Canal Alliance promotes tourism
Businesses urged to court travelers
NORTH TONAWANDA — Businesses and organizations in communities along the Erie Canal can do more to tap into the tourism potential of the historic waterway.
That was the message delivered during a workshop Tuesday in the North Tonawanda History Museum, a gathering that featured Joan Delaro, project manager of the Palmyra-based Western Erie Canal Alliance.
Entitled “Canal-Community-Experience,” the session, which was focused on heritage tourism, explored the ways groups and businesses can connect to the Erie Canal and its visitors, with the hope of leading to longer stays that generate additional spending by tourists.
Business owners and leaders of other organizations need to make a greater commitment to the tourism market if they want to achieve greater success, Delaro told workshop attendees.
From managing hours of operation to capitalize on the schedules of visitors to maintaining their property, to training staff with a knowledge of the canal and canal history, there are a variety of ways to encourage guests to stay in the area. One of the keys is making visitors feel welcome, Delaro said.
“Every little bit of improvement, every effort — it shows,” she said.
Tour operators aren’t attracted to areas where the businesses close at 5 p. m., she added, noting business owners also can help themselves by supporting organizations like area chambers of commerce.
Heritage tourists, on average, spend more per trip—$561 versus $376, compared with nonheritage tourists — Delaro said. Heritage tourists also tend to stay longer and use lodging facilities more often, she said.
Some of the other attendees said they found the event useful for networking and exchanging ideas.
Donna Zellner Neal, executive director of the North Tonawanda History Museum, said she believes the work to emphasize the importance of the Erie Canal needs to be acknowledged and supported through a grass-roots effort, not through government, in order to be successful.
Peter Green, who operates a tour company, Encounter Niagara, said he believes the area can better capitalize on heritage tourism if links between communities and attractions across the region are improved.
Linking the Erie Canal with other attractions in places like Niagara Falls, Lockport, North Tonawanda and Lewiston, would strengthen ties for the area tourism industry as a whole, said Green, noting that North Tonawanda is well suited because it’s a place where visitors can actually “touch” the canal.
Going back to one of Delaro’s messages, Rae Proefrock, chairwoman of the Promotion Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas, said it’s critical for businesses and organizations to make visitors to the area feel welcome, a point she believes most people fail to understand.
Even a short moment of interaction between a waiter and a family at dinner can make or break an opportunity to extend the stay of tourists, Proefrock said.
All business owners need to realize tourism can be “a viable economic boost to their business,” she said.
The Western Erie Canal Alliance represents the five counties — Niagara, Erie, Orleans, Monroe and Wayne — in the Western Erie Canal Heritage Corridor.
For more information on the alliance, visit http://eriecanal heritage.com.
Tuesday’s session, which was attended by individuals from across northern Erie and Niagara counties, was the last of three workshops held by the alliance this month, with the others in Albion and Macedon.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments