A 2017 study by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, based in Switzerland, found that 73% of Ramsar sites worldwide have developed tourism or recreation services.

“This designation will help put the Buffalo Niagara region on the map for ecologically minded tourists seeking out natural wonders,” Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Patrick Kaler said. “Global recognition can only boost our efforts to promote all there is to see and do along the Niagara River.”

"We're expanding the opportunities for ecotourism as well as the awareness of the really extraordinary environmental asset that we have throughout the Great Lakes as well as in our neck of the woods, where we have two lakes, a river and a mighty waterfall," Mitchell said.

"There are a lot of people that do seek out these Ramsar sites because it is such a prestigious designation, basically recognizing that we have a rare and unique habitat for biological diversity," Czopp said. "Birders especially seek out Ramsar sites as travel destinations, and birding is already a large part of what we do as far as our outdoor marketing and promotion efforts."

The Ramsar designation will be mentioned in future tourist publications and online. "This is going to be a good opportunity for us to stand out as a place that isn't just water falling over a cliff, but a significantly diverse wildlife habitat," Czopp said.