Binational tourism in Niagara: insights, challenges and the future

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights to relevant theories, challenges and the future opportunities for binational tourism in the Niagara region. Design/methodology/approach – A selected cross‐section of relevant publications including news media items are reviewed. Data gathered by a group of graduate students from Niagara College during their externships with the Binational Tourism Alliance, are utilized. Binational tourism initiatives from different parts of the world are analyzed. Findings – This paper implies that in order to strategize binational tourism in Niagara, relevant theories, international best practices, historic developments of binational initiatives in Niagara as well as news media reports should be analysed. It concludes that Niagara's tourism industry, on both sides of the border, must continue to work in close partnership on their binational tourism strategy and binational positioning in order to remain competitive as a major tourist destination in the world. Originality/value – Inputs from the Executive Director of the Binational Tourism Alliance of the Niagara region as a co‐author, enhances the practical value of this paper. Not much research has been undertaken on the topic of binational tourism in Niagara. Therefore, particularly, the tourism policy makers as well as other stakeholders of tourism in the Niagara region should benefit from this paper.