Niagara-on-the-Lake has been honoured with Tripadvisor’s 2023 Travellers’ Choice “Best of the Best” Popular Destination in Canada award. This award comes from customers and the ratings they leave for restaurants, hotels, things to do and other activities in the area. The reviews are collected over a 12-month period.

NOTL moved up from fifth place in 2021 to second this year, edging out second-place Banff, Alta., and other destinations like Quebec City (#6) and Toronto (#10).

Vancouver was number one this year, just ahead of NOTL.

“It speaks to Niagara-on-the-Lake as a destination and the quality of destination that we are,” Minerva Ward, president of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and Tourism NOTL, said in an interview with The Lake Report.

Though cities like Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal are large, the award shows that size doesn’t matter.

“Size is not what is important. We beat out so many bigger destinations by the quality of experiences that we have,” said Ward.

The top four attractions in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Tripadvisor were all wineries – Konzelmann Estate Winery, Reif Estate Winery, Chateau des Charmes Winery and Peller Estates Winery, respectively.

Nine out of the 12 top attractions are wineries, which speaks volumes to the power of the wine industry in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ward said.

To get to the number one spot, Ward said NOTL must continue to do what it does best.

“Ensure it’s a pristine destination, ensuring that we offer quality experiences, that we deliver on our value promise or brand promise,” said Ward.

As long as NOTL continues to be a place where people can celebrate and experience a wide variety of activities – like spas, wineries and dining – then the town might see that number one spot in the near future.

It’s “the quality of experiences we have in that make us a premium destination,” said Ward.

“The travel resurgence we’ve seen throughout the past year has even further heightened the competition,” John Boris, chief marketing officer for Tripadvisor, said in announcing the winners.

“Ranking among the Best of the Best demonstrates that you have provided exemplary experiences to those who matter most: your guests. With changing expectations, continued labor shortages, and rising costs, this is no easy feat.”