Travel website Expedia users rank town third-most friendly in Canada
Niagara-on-the-Lake is the third-most friendly town in Canada for 2021, according to Expedia users.
People who leave reviews on the travel website gave Niagara-on-the-Lake the third-highest percentage of positive traveller comments between January 2019 and December 2020., using descriptions such as “friendly, friendliest, amiable.”
Describing NOTL as “quaint,” the site noted the town is “filled with lots of restaurants and wineries for the perfect weekend away.”
It also mentioned that while the town has about 18,000 residents, it attracts millions of visitors each year, thanks to the area's “natural beauty, as well as the many historical landmarks and local amenities.”
NOTL finished behind Radium Hot Springs, B.C., and Digby, N.S. The other top 10 locales were: Baddeck, N.S., Drumheller, Alta., Saint John, N.B., Gatineau, Que., Thunder Bay, Banff and Charlottetown.
With lockdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of the Shaw Festival's productions last summer, along with almost every other major tourist-focused event, visitor numbers fell and many businesses struggled to survive.
Lord Mayor Betty Disero was pleased by the recognition.
“It has been my experience that those who call Niagara-on-the-Lake home, the ‘locals’ if you will, are some of the most kind, generous and community-minded individuals I’ve ever known,” she said in a statement.
“We’ve all experienced a variety of challenges this past year and I am proud to say that our Niagara-on-the-Lake community has remained warm, hospitable and friendly to one another and to those who have had the pleasure of visiting our small town.”
Disero said she hopes during this coming tourist season, “residents and visitors will be able to safely enjoy the wonderful attractions, heritage and culture, and distinct beauty of Niagara-on-the-Lake.”
Chief administrator Marnie Cluckie noted, “Kindness and friendliness are imperative to great experiences and I am pleased to know that those who visited Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2019 and 2020 experienced the town through the lens of a friendly, welcoming community.”
