Niagara University Unveils ‘Niagara Global Tourism Institute’
A Niagara University-led initiative to transform the regional tourism industry is officially underway.
A grand opening of the Niagara Global Tourism Institute was held today in the institute’s headquarters, which are housed in the historic Power City Building, at the corner of 3rd and Old Falls streets in the heart of the downtown tourism district in Niagara Falls.
The NGTI seeks to leverage the university’s significant history and resources in hospitality and tourism management to enhance Niagara Falls’ tourism industry, which has been identified as a key economic driver by the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council.
The program’s development also correlates with NU’s service-centered mission and the objectives of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has made the revitalization of Niagara Falls a top priority.
“The university’s mission in this and every effort is dictated by the founder of our Vincentian community, St. Vincent de Paul, and is part of our responsibility as an institution to invest in the community of our 1856 founding,” said the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., president of Niagara University.
“We recognize that poverty is not just economic, but also personal and social, and firmly believe that tourism is the best way to seize the moral imperative to drive the economy of this region. Niagara, the first college in the world to offer a bachelor’s degree in tourism, is particularly poised to spearhead this action. We will put our prestigious faculty and administration to work side-by-side with students in the area of research. We see the NGTI as way to improve the quality of life for every citizen in this community,” said Father Maher.