How the border closure is impacting Niagara Falls tourism

WE WANT TO START TRAVELINGAGAIN.

A BAN ON BORDER TRAVELCOULD SOON BE LIFTED FOR TFIRST TIME IN 15 MONTHS.GOOD EVENING.

THE BORDERCLOSURE HAS BROUGHT A BIG PARTOF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY TO AHALT -- BOTH IN WESTERN NEWYORK AND SOUTHERN ONTARIO.

IN2019 -- MORE THAN FIVE MILLIONVEHICLES TRAVELED ACROSS THEPEACE BRIDGE.

THAT NUMBER WASSLASHED TO LESS THAN TWOMILLION LAST YEAR.

AND 2021 ISON PACE FOR LESS THANONE-AND-A- HALF MILLION.THE BORDER IS STILL CLOSEDTHROUGH AT LEAST JUNE 21ST.WESTERN NEW YORK'S MEMBERS OFCONGRESS HAVE BEEN CALLING FORIT TO BE RE-OPENED FOR MONTHS.CONGRESSMAN CHRIS JACOBS HASPROPOSED A BILL THAT WOULDRE-OPEN THE BORDER ON THE U-SSIDE.

BUT AS GILAT MELAMEDTELLS US -- SOME PEOPLE INWESTERN NEW YORK SAY A CLOSEDBORDER IS ACTUALLY GOOD FORBUSINESS.A PANDEMIC AND A BORDERCLOSURE& ARE NOT PUTTING THEBRAKES ON SIGHT SEE RENTALS&"PEOPLE THAT I THINK NORMALLYWE WOULD LOSE TO THE CANADIANSIDE ARE STAYING HERE IN NFNEW YORK." PRESIDENT GAELANBAILEY SAYS LAST SUMMER WASBETTER THAN 2019& ATTRACTINGMORE PEOPLE FROM IN STATE,OHIO, AND PENNSYLVANIA& ACROSSTHE STREET AT WINE ON THIRDBARTENDER ANTHONY SANTAROSASAYS THE LOSS OF CANADIANSISN'T HARMING BUSINESS& "WE'REDOING SOME OF THE BEST NUMBERSEVER RIGHT NOW.

HONESTLY A LOTOF PEOPLE ARE COMING FROMOTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ANDREALLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHINGDIFFERENT THAN GOING TO EUROPEOR THE BAHAMAS OR SOMETHINGLIKE THAT THEY'RE TRYNA SEECOOL PLACES WITHIN OUR OWNCOUNTRY SO THAT'S COOL."NIAGARA FALLS MAYOR ROBERTRESTAINO SAYS TOURISM ISCRITICAL, BUT AN OPEN BORDERIS ALSO ABOUT REUNITINGFAMILIES AND THE RETURN OFDAILY BORDER CROSSERS.

"WE'REREALLY LIKE ONE NEIGHBORHOODSEPARATED BY THE RIVER." HE'SFOR A BORDER REOPENING JULYFOURTH WEEKEND& SAYING SALESTAX AND SMALL BUSINESSES HAVETAKEN A HIT& WITH MILLIONS OFDOLLARS LOST.

"YOU CAN STARTON A THURSDAY EVENING AND WORKALL THE WAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANDTHERE ARE MANY TIMES THAT AREROADS ARE EQUALLY DISTRIBUTEDBETWEEN CANADIAN LICENSEPLATES AND NYS LICENSEPLATES." HE WANTS TO SEE ACLEARER ROAD MAP TO REOPENING&SOMETHING NIAGARA FALLSONTARIO MAYOR JIM DIODATI SAYSHIM AND OTHER BORDER CITYMAYORS PUSHED FOR IN A LATEMAY MEETING WITH CANADA'SPUBLIC SAFETY MINISTER BILLBLAIR& "THIS HAS BEENDEVASTATING FOUR TOURISM,BILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST IN NFCANADA WE GET UPWARDS OF $14MILLION PEOPLE EVERY YEAR,TYPICALLY 25% OF THEM COMEFROM THE U.S. AND THEYREPRESENT 50% OF THE REVENUE."BAILEY SAYS THIS IS THEAMERICAN SIDE'S CHANCE TOPROVE ITSELF TO FOR WHEN THEBORDER REOPENS& "I THINK I CANHONESTLY SEE A LOT OF PEOPLEEND UP TAKING OUR EQUIPMENTSCOOTERS AND BIKES RIDING TOTHE CANADIAN SIDE WHICH THEYCAN DO AND HOPEFULLY I CAN GETPEOPLE THAT ARE STAYING ON THECANADIAN SIDE TO CROSS OVER TOTHE AMERICAN SIDE.

IN NIAGARAFALLS, GILAT MELAMED, 7EWN.AS BLOOMBERG FIRST REPORTEDLAST NIGHT -- CANADA COULD LFULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE CROSSTHE BORDER AS EARLY AS JUNE22ND.

PRIME MINISTER JUSTINTRUDEAU HOPES THIS IS JUSTANOTHER WAY OF BRINGING THECOUNTRY'S VACCINATION NUMBERSUP.

EASING OF RESTRICTIONSWILL BE FOCUSED ON CANADIANSWHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED BOTHBECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THESCIENCE DICTATES, PARTICULARLYWHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THENEW VARIANTS OF CONCERN, LIKETHE DELTA VARIANT THEDIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROTECTIONOF ONE DOSE OF VACCINE VERSUSTWO VOLTS OF VACCINE IS QUITESIGNIFICANT.

AS OF FRIDAY --68- PERCENT OF CANADIAN ADULTSHAD THEIR FIRST DOSE -- BUJUST SEVEN PERCENT WERE FULLYVACCINATED.

THE VACCINESAVAILABLE IN CANADA HAVELONGER WAIT TIMES BETWEENDOSES.HERE AT