The effort to draw more tourists and increase their stay is getting a boost from Washington. Rep. Brian Higgins announced a $300,000 grant from the Department of the Interior for the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area on Monday. NFNHA President Tom Chambers said the funding will pay for new maps and visitor guides about local historic sites.
"The Discover Niagara map is an attempt to have a resource for people to show them where these important historic sites are. To really be able to say, 'Oh, I could go to Oakwood Cemetery, to go up to Ft. Niagara.' To realize here are the spots. To show them, on a map, there are other places to go. The map includes the stories of those places," Chambers said.
The funding will also cover the cost of a Junior Ranger activity guide book for children ages 7-12.
Chambers says one of the goals is to give tourists a reason to stay in the region longer.