Tale of The Two Falls

A network of three waterfalls — American Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Bridal Veil Falls — comprise the 51 meter tall Niagara Falls. The Falls spread across two countries, situated between the province of Ontario and state of New York. The Horseshoe Falls lie principally on the Canada side. From the United States, the American Falls can be viewed from Prospect Point Park. The main attraction, however, is the State Park.

On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park offers views of the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. The Skylon Tower offers the highest view of the Falls.

The Canadian side of Niagara Falls is exceedingly popular among Indians. Anastasia Belashov, manager International Tour & Travel Trade, Asia Pacific, Niagara Falls Tourism, says, “Unfortunately Niagara Falls doesn’t have exact stats on the number of visitors from India; estimated number, based on Destination Canada stats, is about 250,000 per year. This is not the largest number of visitors. However, it’s one of the important markets for Canada and Niagara and we work closely with Canadian tourism office in India to grow the number.”

Canadian officials do not have estimates for the proportion of Indian visitors who cross the border from the U.S. side to view the Falls. Belashov said: “The 250,000 approximate number of visitors from India includes these coming from U.S. side. Again, we don’t have much stats as the border officials do not share this information with tourism organizations. It’s easier to get a U.S. visa than Canadian visa, and for that reason, some travelers come to see Niagara from the U.S. side and never cross to Canada. These visitors are not included into the stats as they never step on the Canadian side.”

Niagara Falls, Canada, is far more economically vibrant and developed than the U.S. side with numerous casinos and Nevada-style attractions, such as Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Madame Tussaud’s Museum, Guinness World Records Museum, etc. Says Newell Nussbaumer of Buffalo Rising: “There is a huge difference between the American side and the Canadian side. The Canadian side is beautiful and exciting, with loads of restaurants and sightseeing experiences. The American side is considerably more destitute, although there is a wonderful park to explore.

“The American side needs to land some serious infill. It needs to get rid of the parking lots and concentrate on building features similar to what is seen on the Canadian side. I believe that the tide is slowly turning for the American side, but it’s got a heck of a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully any further advancement would bode well for Buffalo, which is experiencing an exciting renaissance currently.”