From CNW Group Ltd.
Surrounding businesses boom as visitors flock to new facility
NIAGARA FALLS, ON, Nov. 16 /CNW/ – Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort has
passed the test of its first full quarter of operation.
“We set out to create a ‘wow’ experience and we’ve achieved that. People
are coming to visit, they’re seeing the shows, they’re having dinner, they’re
spending the night and most importantly, they’re genuinely enjoying
themselves,” said Larry L. Lewin, President of Niagara Casinos.
Fallsview has achieved some remarkable successes in its short history:
– The two casinos combined paid out $30 million more in payroll and
benefits and $5 million more for goods and services in the second
quarter of 2004 than Casino Niagara did on its own in the same quarter
in 2003.
– More than 2.1 million people visited the property in July, August and
September.
– More than 40,000 people saw a live show in the Avalon Ballroom, which
has staged performances by some big-name entertainers, including
Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, the Steve Miller Band,
Wynonna Judd, the Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon, Paul Anka,
Julio Iglesias, Kenny Rogers, Smokey Robinson, Melissa Manchester and
Howie Mandel. Upcoming acts include Anne Murray, Art Garfunkel,
Wayne Newton and David Cassidy.
– The Grand Hall has hosted a number of large conventions and trade
shows, including events for Kia Motors Canada and the Credit Union
Managers Association (CUMA) as well as the inaugural draft of the new
World Hockey Association.
– Fallsview hosted the Ontario caucus of the Liberal Party of Canada in
October, including a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin on
October 30.
– Also on October 30, Toronto tax accountant Nick Hulst broke the
Canadian slot jackpot record at Fallsview, winning more than
$5.7 million while playing a Megabucks slot machine.
– On November 16, it was announced that the Associates of Fallsview
Casino and Casino Niagara raised over $193,000 for the United Way, a
total that was then bolstered by an additional donation of $100,000
from the casinos themselves.
“As I walk around the property, I’m constantly approached by seasoned
casino-goers who tell me Fallsview is the most beautiful and impressive casino
facility they’ve ever seen,” said Lewin. “They see it all together in one
place – the casino, the hotel, the ballroom and everything else – and they
just can’t believe we put it all together within a few feet of one of the most
famous sights in the world. They’re dazzled.”
Fallsview’s success has attracted the attention of some of the largest
and most influential media organizations in the world, including the New York
Daily News, the Boston Herald, the National Post, the New England Journal of
Golf, Fodor’s, Brides magazine, Hotelier magazine, USA Today and CNN.
Fallsview’s early successes have had a positive impact on the Niagara
region’s tourism industry in the second quarter of the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
Intense media interest in Fallsview Casino combined with ever-increasing
awareness of the property on the part of the general public in North America
are creating a ripple effect that is proving to have a very positive impact on
tourism-based companies in the Niagara region, many of which are experiencing
significant surges in business.
“For July and August, we were at 98 per cent occupancy at all of our
properties,” said Carmen Menechella, whose family is the largest owner of
hotel rooms in Niagara Falls. “We are seeing more tourists from the Toronto
area than ever.”
Menechella’s sentiment was echoed by fellow Niagara Falls hotelier
Vince DiCosimo.
“July 1 to September 30 was the best second quarter the Hilton has ever
experienced,” said DiCosimo, the owner of the Hilton Niagara Falls and the
neighbouring Denny’s restaurant. “Our occupancy rate was 97 per cent. Denny’s
on Fallsview Boulevard has experienced the best three months since it opened
in 1990.”
Fallsview Casino continues to grow as a number of new retail outlets will
open on Fallsview’s Galleria over the coming weeks, including Reed’s Jewellers
and Linda Lundstrom and, in keeping with the city’s long-standing tradition as
a wedding and honeymoon mecca, the resort will debut its two full-service
wedding chapels in early 2005.
On December 31, Fallsview Casino will serve as the presenting sponsor of
the Winter Festival of Lights New Years Eve Outdoor Concert Extravaganza
featuring a free concert by rockers Collective Soul. The outdoor New Years
concerts in Niagara’s Queen Victoria Park have become an annual tradition and
are the only New Years event broadcast live across all of Canada.
Additionally, Fallsview Casino is quickly becoming known as a premier
destination for those looking to take part in some of the largest gaming
tournaments in Canada. In March, 2005, Fallsview will host the Crown Jewel
championship round of the largest blackjack tournament in Canada – the Masters
of Blackjack – with its prize purse of $250,000.
“Fallsview Casino compares favorably with any casino in North America,”
says Noel Buckley, President of Niagara Falls Tourism. “It’s a spectacular
facility.”
For further information: contact Greg Medulun, Manager, Corporate
Communications, Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara,
(905) 358-7654, ext. 53010, or gmedulun@fallsviewcasinoresort.com
