Niagara Falls, New York

NI AGARA FALLS , NEW YORK Niagara Falls. The State of New York estimates that 9.5 million people visit the Niagara Falls State Park every year, and the city is holding strong on its commitment to capitalize on what’s becoming a growing niche of nature-based tourism. Even so, Mayor Robert Restaino says he’d like to see the city find its way in terms of balancing some alternate industries. “We won’t always be a seasonal location,” he insists. “We’ll be an economy that thrives, regardless of what’s thrown our way.” But telling the city’s story as a great place to live, work, and do business requires a further shift in the discourse, particularly around the monumental status that constitutes the typical encounter with the falls. “The truth is that the city attracts attention just as a function of its name,” the Mayor acknowledges. “We do a spectacular bit of business in terms of Europe, Asia, and our Canadian friends across the border. It’s been a bit more of a challenge to focus on our immediate surroundings.” What the coronavirus forced upon the city was a retooling of its strategy. “We’ve sort of cut a different path now,” Restaino admits. With many vacationers turning to road tripping in lieu of international travel, the city broadened its reach to the East Coast in the hopes that those comfortable driving could be enticed to put the falls on their itinerary list. “So far, we’ve seen a great increase in visitors from the mid-Atlantic states and East Coast localities,” Restaino shares. “We certainly miss our friends and neighbors from Canada, and we’re eager to have them rejoin us.” For residents of the sister cities in western New York and Ontario, Canada, the international border has long been more concept than barrier. There are three international bridges across the