OLD TOWN & DOCK AREA: VISION & SECONDARY PLAN NIAGARA ON THE LAKE Background papers Tourism Old Town as an Authentic and Vibrant Destination Prepared by The Tourism Company May 2009
CONTENTS Introduction 1 Key characteristics of Old Town today 3 Summary of background analysis 7 Key issues and opportunities 11 Concepts to be explored 13
INTRODUCTION
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has initiated a highly consultative public engagement process to craft a Vision and Secondary Plan for Old Town & the Dock Area. The following Background Paper is one of five prepared by the consultant team, led by Urban Strategies in support of this process. The Visioning exercise, the first phase of this work, includes all of the Old Town area and is focused on developing an overall direction for Old Town over the next 20 years. The second phase involves the preparation of a Secondary Plan for the Old Town waterfront, generally situated along the northeastern shore-line of the Old Town, and is intended to provide a detailed policy and design framework to guide future decision making and manage change in the area. The Background Papers summarize the understanding, key findings and observations that emerged through the consultant team s reconnaissance and research, stakeholder interviews and the public Speakers Series. The synthesis of thinking outlined in these papers, along with the outcomes of the Old Town Visioning Workshop and continued public and stakeholder input received through the remainder of the Old Town Visioning process, will provide the foundation to craft the Vision for Old Town. This Background Paper provides an overview of Old Town s competitive position as a key tourism destination and larger tourism trends, and identifies key issues and opportunities for tourism in the long term for Old Town and outlines a series of concepts to be explored for the future.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF OLD TOWN TODAY
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a nationally recognized tourism destination not only because of its historic significance, rich heritage and as the home of the one-of-a-kind Shaw Festival, but because of its strong quality of place and the authentic and vibrant experience that it supports. Its location in the heart of Niagara s wine country further enhances its draw for residents and visitors alike. The visitor experience is clearly distinct from Niagara Falls, Ontario, one of Canada s iconic international destinations. Niagara-on-the-Lake is primarily an adult leisure destination with limited opportunities designed specifi cally for family, youth and educational markets - Fort George and The Shaw Festival are the exceptions. Festivals and events held in all four seasons are important draws to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The success of these events relies on the strong support of community volunteers. Wine and culinary offers are attracting younger visitors. Meetings, conference and business travel plays an important role in supporting year round businesses. While there is a gap in statistics that are specifi c to Niagara-on-the-Lake, discussion with a range of types and scale of tourism operators along with anecdotal evidence suggest that the busiest season in recent years has shifted from July/August to September/October. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) remains an important market for Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town. And while there has been a decrease in U.S. visitation, there has been an increase in visitation from the francophone Quebec market. Old Town is part of single day itineraries for many Toronto-Niagara motor coach tours catering to international visitors in particular, resulting in stays as short as 40 minutes in some cases, with little time for shopping and eating. In terms of its tourism assets, Niagara-on-the-Lake has access to and benefi ts from one of the most noteworthy assemblies of signifi cant park systems and open space in Ontario. The federal parks are well-positioned to receive new investment over the next few years, further enhancing the broad range of current and potential recreational and tourism opportunities for residents and visitors alike. Niagara-on-the-Lake also has a very rich and multi-layered history and heritage resources, discussed in more detail in another paper. Niagara-on-the-Lake offers visitors a range of accommodation including a welldeveloped Bed & Breakfast sector, branded hotels, boutique hotels and inns, conference facilities and vacation homes. This variety, much of it concentrated in Old Town provide the visitor with a wide choice of level, style of service and price point. It is important to maintain this mix. However, non-resident ownership of vacation homes now being rented as self-contained cottages creates neighbourhoods with gaps in daily activity snow is not shoveled, papers are not picked up and there is visitor activity at various times. With the exception of theatre offers and dining, there is limited night life. The retail offer, concentrated along Queen Street, is a mix of unique destination stores, national brands and long-time independent operations. And although located directly on Lake Ontario and the Niagara River, there are few places for residents or visitors to gather and enjoy the Old Town Waterfront. Please refer to the maps Queen Street Key Destinations and Old Town Key Destinations on the following pages for a visual presentation of the Town s tourism assets. OLD TOWN & DOCK AREA BACKGROUND PAPER 4
QU EE NS T. GOLF COURSE SE NT ST. ST. KIN RE DO GS CE. E RD HOR S LAKE AR T. NA SS AU S T. RIC MA RY S T. JO HN ST. FORT GEORGE THE COMMONS NIAGARA PARKWAY NI AG A RA ST ON ER D. BUTLER S BARRACKS EAST AND WEST LINE Old Town key destinations 5 TOURISM NATURAL AMENITIES AGRI - TOURISM (WINERIES) QUEEN-PICTON DISTRICT RETAIL HISTORIC BUILDINGS THEATRES MUSEUMS, & GALLERIES JET BOAT TOURS BED & BREAKFAST INN / COTTAGE OLD TOWN URBAN BOUNDARY
OLD TOWN & DOCK AREA BACKGROUND PAPER 6
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND ANALYSIS
Because of its proximity to Niagara Falls and its location to the large Ontario and U.S. markets, it is important to review and understand the international, national, provincial and regional context within which Niagara-on-the-Lake competes, operates and partners. This section provides an overview of global trends in tourism, a review of visitation statistics, and an overview of infrastructure investment and marketing activities at the binational, provincial and regional levels. Visitation Profile and Potential According to the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) Canada received just over 17 million visits from international travellers in 2008 down 5% from 2007. Visitation from the U.S. accounts for 73% of international visits. Visits from some key markets increased - France +12%, Australia +9%, and Mexico +8% - while visits from other key markets decreased including Japan (-17%), South Korea (-8%), and the U.K. (-6%). Overnight trips from the U.S. in 2008 fell 7% to just over 12 million. Consumer confi dence in the U.S. declined to a new all-time low which will limit growth opportunities from this market for Niagara-on-the-Lake in the short term. The December 2008 Ontario Tourism Forecast published by the Ministry of Tourism projects overseas travel to the province will be slow, U.S. travel will experience decreases, particularly in same day visits, but that travel from the rest of Canada and within Ontario will remain strong over the next couple of years. Global Trends in Tourism A number of key trends in tourism will continue to shape and infl uence travel in the future and are outlined below. Visitors have shifted from looking to immersing themselves into rich experiences and culture, where they are participants rather than observers. This requires the development of experiences to engage the visitor in new ways. Fully independent travel is on the rise, a shift from large group travel. There is interest in responsible tourism with visitors actively searching for operations and destinations that adopt practices that support sustainability. With the continued rise of the active and healthy boomer generation, there is an increase in number of mature travellers. These are well-travelled visitors who seek quality. The use of the Internet as a source of information and booking tool continues to dominate tourism marketing. As adoption of mobile devices rises, the type of web-based interactions with the visitor will shift. Luxury travel will continue, even in tough economic times. Multi-generational travel and social network or shared interest travel will continue, changing the travel infl uencers and decision-makers. To continue to be successful Niagara-on-the-Lake must continue to monitor and respond to trends such as these as they evolve. According to the Regional Tourism profi le for the Niagara Region prepared by the Ministry of Tourism, an estimated 11 million person visits were recorded in 2007, the most current data available. Overnight visits account for 41% of visits and 76% of spending, underlying the importance of the overnight visitor. Total spending in the Niagara Region, estimated at $1.6 billion supports an estimated 17,444 jobs in the region. Tourism is clearly a key economic driver in the Niagara Region. Research recently completed on tourism opportunities in the Niagara Region conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism 1, identifi es the top three primary reasons for visitation to the Niagara Region as The Falls (natural wonders segment), vineyards/wineries and casinos. Products and experiences offered in and around Niagara-on-the-Lake (wineries and related; spas; live theatre; culinary experiences) target high priority market segments as identifi ed by the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership (Ontario Upscale Adventurers and U.S. High Flyers in particular) and as such benefi t from targeted marketing programs and tactics including Distinctive Getaways and Fall Drives. These programs are supported by fully integrated on-line and off-line tactics including initiatives for media relations and travel trade. 1 The Niagara Region s Tourism Opportunities. The U.S. and Ontario Markets, Ontario Ministry of Tourism: Research Unit Product Development Opportunities August 2007; Marketing Implications July 2008. OLD TOWN & DOCK AREA BACKGROUND PAPER 8
Niagara-on-the-Lake is well-positioned to benefi t from projected shifts in demand over the next 15 to 20 years based on research on tourism opportunities in the Niagara Region completed by the Ministry of Tourism. Highlights of this research that are most relevant to Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town are presented below. Future Growth: 2015 and 2025 U.S. Market Wine segment will grow the most - 10% by 2015 and 20% by 2025; Shopping-related activities will grow a moderate rate; Food-related tourism activities will see healthy growth; and Attendance at ethnic festivals and shopping at greenhouse/garden centres are emerging trends. Future Growth: 2015 and 2025 Ontario Market Growth rates from Ontario markets are higher than those of U.S. markets Wine segment will show the most growth (11% and 28%); Shopping-related activities will grow as will participation in arts-related attractions; and Golf and food-related tourism activities will see healthy growth. For all three segments, there is also interest in secondary or supporting tourism activities that include eating at restaurants offering local ingredients, shopping at local crafts and arts stores and farmers markets, visiting historic sites/buildings and participation in such niche experiences as cooking courses, farm-related activities (picking fruit, participation in harvesting, cooking/wine tasting courses) and enjoying the main street ambiance. To remain competitive and distinct, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town must be aware of and respond to shifts in the competitive landscape. For example, with the addition of the new higher-end Fallsview Casino, the addition of more hotel rooms, development of boutique hotels and rejuvenation of the downtown core including incentives to attract retailers to the downtown, the mix of visitors (higher yield and more sophisticated) attracted to Niagara Falls is evolving. Product and experience development, supported by increases in marketing and branding in such areas as Jordon Village and the Twenty Valley are also expanding the alternatives for leisure travellers seeking wine, culinary and retail in small, authentic towns in the Region. 9 TOURISM These and other investments will continue to put pressure on Niagara-on-the-Lake, which in the past has been the gentle alternative to Niagara Falls often frantic pace and big box retail experience. Primary competition for Niagara-on-the-Lake as a meetings and conference location at the provincial level is the Muskoka Region which continues to develop and promote its golf product in particular. Prince Edward County has emerged as an alternative wine and culinary destination in Ontario and is an intervening or closer opportunity for some Ontario and Quebec markets. Niagara-on-the-Lake must continue to diversify its visitor base in order to remain sustainable over the longer term. The Greater Niagara Circle Route, a multi-use paved path that goes through Old Town, was opened in 2006 and has four staging areas, further diversifying the tourism experience. The addition of a number of new signature golf courses in the region also helps to diversify the offer. The proposed Project Niagara is creating much discussion and in some cases tension in Niagaraon-the-Lake. Should this project proceed, it will add a new dimension to Niagara-onthe-Lake and Old Town as a tourism destination. Developments in Infrastructure The Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Investment and Development Offi ce initiative, Premier-ranked Tourist Destination Framework process completed in July 2006 identifi ed 36 tactics under four major areas including Research and Evaluation, Destination Development, Integrated and Strategic Marketing and Industry and Community Relations. Niagara-on-the-Lake was an active participant in the process. Many of the initiatives have been completed and have laid the foundation for the next generation of initiatives. The Sorbara report on the Ontario Tourism Competitiveness Study titled Discovering Ontario - A Report on the Future of Tourism, was released in February 2009. The recommendations from this comprehensive study, if implemented as recommended, could signifi cantly alter the tourism environment for Ontario. Of particular signifi cance not only to Niagara-on-the-Lake but the industry at large is the recommendation for the creation of 11 well-defi ned and well-managed tourism regions that would take the lead role for product development and marketing. Resourcing for these regions would come from legislated Destination Marketing Fees (DMFs), which are currently collected on a voluntary level in many Ontario jurisdictions. There is signifi cant infrastructure and development work across the Niagara Region including expansion of the Lewiston Queenston and Peace Bridges, Welcome Centre at Fort Erie and planned Niagara Falls Bridge Commission renovation. Niagara-on-the- Lake will benefi t from completion of these initiatives.
THE INQUISITIVE EXPLORERS Sophisticated, globetrotting veterans seeking experiences associated with learning and, to an extent, mind/body revitalization. They have high expectations for their experiences and convenient transportation to the destination is of particular importance. Marketing Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town as a Tourism Destination The Chamber of Commerce acts as the primary voice and advocate for the tourism industry in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and also implements many marketing initiatives. The industry as whole is lacking dedicated resources for marketing and therefore have limited capacity to invest at the same level as other jurisdictions, in particular Niagara Falls, that have introduced a voluntary Destination Marketing Fee. There are many additional layers of regional and bi-national tourism marketing and advocacy organizations for Old Town and Niagara-on-the-Lake to be aware of, participate in and advocate for a voice on including, but not limited to: Niagara Economic Development Corporation; Venture Niagara/Enterprise Niagara, Community Futures Development Corporation and the lead on a website targeting the Quebec and francophone markets www. bonjourniagara.com and Les Saisons Niagara s offi cial French tourism guide book. Wine Council of Ontario; Grape Growers of Ontario; and Binational Tourism Alliance, a partnership promoting and advocating cross-border tourism, culture and business opportunities. A regional branding initiative has just been completed with a recommendation for adoption of a program called Niagara Original. The comprehensive program provides a branding framework that encompasses the entire Niagara Region, while providing suffi cient fl exibility that location and activity-specifi c marketing/branding can and should occur. While marketing to visitors is a strong element, it also addresses business and investment attraction. A core Niagara Original signature has been developed as well as 19 sectoral signatures. Niagara-on-the-Lake should review the Niagara Original program, and explore opportunities to boost the town s marketing reach and expand marketing partnerships. In addition to marketing organizations, Niagara-on-the-Lake has a mix of federal (Parks Canada), provincial (Niagara Parks Commission), municipal and private sector operators as well as educational institutions such as Niagara College with its Culinary Institute, actively engaged in Niagara-on-the-Lake s tourism industry. Although this number of organizations can make coordination amongst tourism operators cumbersome, having a variety of organizations engaged in the tourism industry makes a broad range of networks, resources and partnering opportunities available to Niagara-on-the-Lake. OLD TOWN & DOCK AREA BACKGROUND PAPER 10
KEY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The following have been identified as key issues and opportunities for Old Town as an authentic and vibrant destination. Transportation to and from Niagara-on-the-Lake remains a challenge to be addressed, including the need for public transportation linkages with existing GO lines for both visitors and seasonal staff, linkages with Niagara Falls and linkages with Toronto s International Airport. Old Town and Niagara-on-the-Lake, along the entire Niagara Region and Ontario, continue to adjust to the signifi cant decrease in the number of same-day visitors from the U.S. market over the last few years and to new patterns of visitation. What initiatives will attract visitation in times of need, smooth demand and visitation away from peak fall weekends and summer and build new markets for the future? What is the optimum role of motor coach traffi c/visitors to Niagara-on-the-Lake s future? Shopping and dining are the two highest activities visitors participate in, no matter where they are. The strolling and shopping experience in Old Town is a core activity for high potential winery and natural wonders segments. How can Old Town attract and retain truly unique retail operations that will fully embrace and enhance the overall tourism experience? The Old Town Waterfront is not actively managed or accessible from a tourism perspective. For example, the nature of the Jet Boat operation (buses entering the area, patrons changing in the parking lot, limited access to the public dock) is incompatible with other area uses, the arrival by boaters to transient slips at the marina is not particularly inviting and linkages between such waterfront destinations as the Pump House, Navy Hall and Queen s Royal Park for example are informal, missing or diffi cult to fi nd. Is there an opportunity to more actively manage the waterfront to the advantage of both residents and visitors? A pilot Niagara Bike Train project, led by the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber was initiated in fall of 2007 and expanded in 2008. An estimated 1,000 passengers took the Bike Train in 2008. What is the potential for use of existing parking lots at wineries and Niagara District Secondary School to be used as park n ride for cyclists? Is there a role for Autoshare and other shared rental companies? The critical mass of tourism-related retail, gallery and food and beverage offers along Queen Street, combined with congestion and lack of community-based services in the core of Old Town, mean that there is little incentive for residents to go downtown on a regular basis. This lack of residential activity contributes to a feeling of a destination being contrived as the only other people there are other out of town visitors. What initiatives will play a role in making the core of Old Town accessible and relevant to both residents and visitors? There is a sense that the tourism industry operates in silos from each other and from elected offi cials and staff. But there is interest in forming more marketing and business alliances to complement and extend Chamber initiatives. Partners will gather around specifi c initiatives, but to be successful require facilitation and administration. More specifi cally, discussions with a range of tourism operators and stakeholders expressed interest in building formal and informal connections to facilitate marketing initiatives, provide mentoring as appropriate, share insights into challenges and opportunities and to engage retailers with events, conferences and other opportunities. What are the mechanisms, both formal and informal to build connections? OLD TOWN & DOCK AREA BACKGROUND PAPER 12
CONCEPTS TO BE EXPLORED The following concepts were identified through reconnaissance and stakeholder interviews for further exploration and discussion as means to support Old Town as an authentic and vibrant destination. The Old Town community (residents, elected officials and staff) should celebrate and embrace the reality that Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town are in the business of tourism. This acknowledgement should then be refl ected in allocation of resources, both time and fi nancial, to the tourism sector and activity, including cultural heritage tourism. This could include having a voice of tourism participate in staff discussions to ensure that the impact on tourism is considered. Having tourism represented in discussions would encourage a consistent, regular and appropriate application of relevant by-laws, as well as ensure suffi cient levels of municipal and other investment in upkeep and maintenance services such as garbage collection, street beautifi cation and street lighting. Moving forward, it is important that the Town actively engage the community on an ongoing basis to discuss how tourism contributes to the community (including in terms of revenue, amenity, cache, jobs, streetscapes, and landscaping) as well as to better understand resident issues regarding the tourism industry, and pro-actively manage these to ensure a balance between the needs of the tourism industry and the quality of life and quality of place of residents. Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town could benefit from the development and implementation of a comprehensive Tourism Development Strategy that would: identify key market opportunities/priorities (same day versus overnight; origin U.S. short haul; U.S. long haul; GTA; other Ontario; education sector; meetings/ convention sector, soft adventure sector, etc.); reach consensus on highest priority times of need to guide efforts and investment; 13 TOURISM prepare a product/experience development strategy to target key marketing opportunities and priorities; develop an integrated marketing strategy to attract priority markets including updating and expansion of its Internet presence; identify resourcing required for implementation and marketing; and identify a process or mechanism to facilitate expand on-going dialogue between the tourism sector and town decision-makers and infl uencers. A Tourism Development Strategy for Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town will provide a framework for its own priorities while keeping a close eye on the impact and opportunities from the many bi-national, provincial and regional initiatives. Niagara-on-the-Lake should invest in regular Niagara-on-the-Lake-specific visitor research to confirm and understand: profi le of visitors to understand who is visiting and to infl uence product development priorities; spending patterns to quantify impact of spending; when they travel to confi rm times of need that can then be addressed through programming and marketing; and their impressions of Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Town, including mix and nature of products, pricing, levels of service and infrastructure that supports tourism activity. The need for regular visitor research is consistent with conclusions from the recently completed strategic plan for Niagara s Wine Country Communities. The Ontario Ministry of Tourism has developed a tool called Making the Case for Tourism which
uses research of this nature to articulate the value and role of tourism to elected offi cials, staff and residents. There may be opportunities to engage area students to play a role in completing the research. Once this type of research is completed, it must be presented to politicians in a manner that is meaningful to the public. Diversifying the types of visitor Niagara-on-the-Lake attracts will help to strengthen the tourism sector and make it more resilient. Product/experience development in Niagara-on-the-Lake and related marketing must balance the needs of both day visitors and overnight visitors. Day visitors are important to local businesses and add valuable animation to the Town while overnight leisure and business visitors, who are higher yield and spend more, are critical to keeping accommodation providers, retail stores and area restaurants and bars open. Bundling and refreshing the Old Town experience along with the addition of new experiences is essential to diversifying the types of visitors the town attracts. In particular the Town should focus on cultivating well-designed and authentic experiences that enable visitors to engage with local residents who for example might host for walking tours and or provide hands-on demonstrations. Niagara-on-the-Lake should actively pursue industries compatible to tourism to locate in Old Town and diversify the local economy. Sustainable downtown cores have a mix of residential, commercial and tourism developments and activity. Residents provide animation and activity during times of little tourism activity and also support retail and food and beverage businesses year round. What infrastructure or changes in planning policy are required to attract and retain knowledge-based industry or related cultural or other industries to complement tourism activities? Addressing the little things does have an impact in building and maintaining an authentic and vibrant destination for visitors and a great place for residents to live and work. This may include for example the following initiatives: Continued and enhanced support for heritage conservation - including recognizing the value of Niagara-on-the-Lake s heritage buildings, cultural heritage landscapes, streetscapes, estate lots, and streetscapes to attracting visitors; Managing bus traffi c in and around the waterfront; Managing water-related activities to ensure their facilities and operations respect the surrounding neighbourhood; Establishing buffers between areas of high tourism activity and parks/residential areas; Identifying appropriate areas for passive activities such as pathways, etc. ; Maintaining consistent and appropriate lighting; Strengthening linkages between areas of tourism activity; Enforcing signage bylaws; Encouraging the adoption of sustainable building and operating practices; and Participating in quality assessment and economic development programs such as Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affair s First Impressions Community Exchange and Rural Economic Development (RED) Program. OLD TOWN & DOCK AREA BACKGROUND PAPER 14