Coming in at number two in Canada in Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Destinations for 2022 is a reason for Niagara-on-the-Lake to celebrate. And that’s just what the NOTL Chamber of Commerce and Tourism NOTL did, gathering together a number of organizations who no doubt contributed to the ranking last Wednesday at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
“This is a fantastic award for us,” said Chamber president and CEO Minerva Ward. “It’s very prestigious. Tripadvisor is one of the world’s biggest review sites for travel and tourism. To come second in Canada overall is a fantastic testament to our performance, the experience and the level of service we provide. It speaks to our industry and the partners who make it possible.”
Only Vancouver finished ahead of NOTL in the ranking. The town beat out such tourism destinations as Banff, Quebec City and Whistler, B.C., as well as big cities Montreal and Toronto.
“We’re probably the smallest destination in the top 10,” said Ward. “It speaks to the quality of our experiences. We may be small in size, but we punch far above our weight.”
Along for the party were staff members from six local wineries and representatives from the Shaw Festival and Fort George National Historic Site of Canada. They were all among Tripadvisor’s list of the top 50 destinations in Ontario for last year as well.
“We invited the staff who made it all happen,” Ward emphasized. “We wanted them to be a part of our celebration, and to have them understand the significance of this. It’s about the contributions they make as part of the bigger picture of tourism overall.”
Andrew Niven of Konzelmann Estate Winery, named the eighth best attraction in the province, was excited with the ranking.
“It’s definitely our team,” Niven told The Local. “In the wine industry the focus is definitely on experience. We’ve really developed and embraced getting back to that experience-based model, making some memorable times for our visitors who come here.”
Representatives from each of the top 50 attractions provided a short video and were toasted by the convivial crowd. There was a definite sense of camaraderie between the group throughout the proceedings.
Niven acknowledged the shared efforts of those in the room, as well as many other businesses who didn’t make the top 50 in Ontario, in making NOTL number two in Canada.
“We’re all friends, we all socialize together,” he said. “We help each other with a lot of these collaborative initiatives. It’s a testament to what we do in Niagara-
on-the-Lake.”
And, as if on cue, when Andrew Wade of Peller Estates Winery (Number 20 in Ontario) toasted his staff for their success, he pointed out that he was doing so with a glass of Reif Estate Winery’s (Number 12) Riesling.
With the town working on its official tourism strategy, the Tripadvisor rankings couldn’t come at a better time.
“It’s a marketing tool,” added Ward. “It’s a prestigious thing we will use for branding, on our businesses, on our doors, on our websites. It lets people know we are the best of the best.”
The second-place ranking is a marked improvement from fifth the previous year. And, echoing somewhat the old Avis Rental Car advertising campaign, Ward promised that west coast city that NOTL has its sights set on an even higher ranking this year.
“Watch out Vancouver, we’re coming for you,” she warned with a chuckle. “We’re coming for that first place spot this year.”