Tourism businesses across the country are bracing for the impact coronavirus will have on sales. In Niagara Falls, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, there’s an acute level of anxiety.
Tourism businesses across the country are bracing for the impact of coronavirus on sales.
Smaller operators and those that rely heavily on visitors from abroad may be especially vulnerable to lost revenue, say industry experts.
The federal government announced Friday it will restrict the number of airports that can receive international flights. It is also evaluating whether entry rules may need to be tightened at the American border.
Before that news, iconic tourist site the CN Tower in Toronto had already announced it was closing temporarily. The landmark Toronto building is suspending operations until April 14.
By late Friday afternoon, National Museums of Canada announced all national museums would be closed until further notice, and many provincial attractions like Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, soon followed.
Also shuttered: Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts, Edmonton’s Telus World of Science, Calgary’s Glenbow Museum, Vancouver’s Science World, to name a few.
In Niagara Falls, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, there’s an acute level of anxiety about the coronavirus pandemic.
“To be honest with you, I think SARS and H1N1 were dress rehearsals for this,” says Anna Pierce, vice president of Niagara Helicopters. “They were literally not anywhere near the impact that COVID-19 is going to have on our industry.”
A sudden shutdown for Niagara Parks
On Friday night the Niagara Parks Commission, an agency of the Ontario government, announced that all Niagara Parks attractions are temporarily closing.
The commission’s restaurants, retail stores and golf courses, as well as the Falls Incline Railway are affected. Public programming and events are also being suspended until April 6.
The Parks Commission is responsible for many of the attractions, restaurants and facilities in the falls region, including the Table Rock area beside Horseshoe Falls.
Niagara Parks outdoor areas and public washroom facilities like those at Table Rock, the popular spot at the lip of the falls, will remain open and be regularly cleaned. People will still be able to visit the falls and