By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Buffalo's designation for next year's I Love New York Summer festival is already attracting attention. The American Bus Association recently ranked the "One Summerlong Sensation" as one of North America's top 100 events for 2003.
It was quite a coup for Buffalo Niagara to net the state's top tourism event for next year. And local tourism promoters were banking on the "One Summerlong Sensation" to bring in extra visitors to the region. It appears that it will -- by the busloads.
The American Bus Association recommends the top 100 destinations they think are "must-sees" for tour bus travelers. Buffalo Niagara made the list. Richard Geiger, president of the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau, says it's a great opportunity for them to promote the region.
"It will also allow us to seek out tour operators, and motor coach operators and wholesalers, who are putting trips together for next summer and go to them and say, we are one of the top 100 destinations for next year, this is something you should include on your itinerary or part of the package you're selling to the consumer," said Geiger. "So, I think we'll be able to bring more tour groups here and more motor coach groups here next summer than we've ever seen before."
Geiger says they expect a roughly ten percent increase over the normal amount of about 2,500 motor coach trips that come through each summer. And that could mean tens of thousands of additional dollars rolling into the region.
The I Love New York promoted event, "One SummerLong Sensation," begins with the Allentown Art Festival in June and runs until Curtain-Up in September.