They come from all over the world. From Key West to Kitchener. From Brisbane to Boston. Visitors can find their way to Buffalo from thousands of zip codes throughout North America and all corners of the world. They are drawn to our cultural sights, architecture, fishing and food. They come to the Porchfest, the TR Site and the Erie County Fair. They visit Burchfield, Sportsmen’s and Graycliff. You’ll hop aboard flamingo boats, pedal boats, and paddle boards. You’ll try beef on a roll, wings and fish fries. They come as couples without children. Girlfriends on a getaway. Multi-generational families. congress delegates. And they all leave behind the kind of foreign dollars that fatten the coffers of our restaurants, attractions, hotels, and retail outlets.
You may not know it, but someone you know may very well be one of the more than 30,000 people employed in the area’s hospitality industry. Tourism plays a big role here and it’s time to see ourselves as a place with a tourism economy that can coexist with manufacturing, finance and healthcare. It might have been hard to imagine that Buffalo would one day be a desirable place to visit when Bethlehem Steel closed its doors in 1982, but that’s exactly what happened. In fact, it should be a source of tremendous civic pride that we have built a thriving tourism economy where none existed.
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Visionary investments in the redevelopment of our Canalside, Ohio Street and Outer Harbor waterfront promenade set the stage for a dramatic shift in the downtrend the city seemed to be on. The bold leadership culminated in the restoration and rebirth of the Darwin Martin House, the Richardson Campus, and Seneca One. Enterprising activists and creative thinkers created events that are now considered landmark events on the Buffalo calendar, such as Garden Walk, the Wing Festival, Food Truck Tuesdays and the Queen City Jazz Festival. And entrepreneurs jumped at the chance, helping revitalize entire neighborhoods by opening cafes, breweries, new restaurants and small businesses.
When a strong hospitality industry is built on hospitality, it’s perhaps no surprise that the City of Good Neighbors gets such high marks from visitors. People notice how friendly we are. They appreciate that we look them in the eye and say hello. Give them directions. Recommend a favorite place. Buy a round. An article about Buffalo in Thrillist.com perhaps put it best: “The people are real, the food is great, and they’ve reused beautiful relics without a hint of pretentiousness. You’ll party harder, eat better, and make more new friends, all for less than anywhere else in America.”
Well done Buffalo. Well done.
Patrick Kaler is President and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara.
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