FROM THE EDITOR “Cultural tourism is a concept that I started contemplating long before arriving at Buffalo Spree. As curator at the Castellani Art Museum during the nineties, I met with my colleagues at Niagara County museums, galleries, theaters, and nature sites on a regular basis. We were quite frustrated. As we saw it, we were all located very near an international tourist attraction, yet it seemed so difficult to take advantage of it. How to get tourists to stay longer than five hours in Niagara Falls, U.S., so they could experience our institutions as well as spend more dollars in the region? At the time, the tourism profession had a one-size-fits-all way of marketing regions, which often left out smaller nonprofits with minimal marketing and advertising budgets. There is more recognition of the importance of museums and other cultural amenities in providing a complete experience—and thus supporting longer stays and more spending—in today’s tourism industry, but still Western New York struggles with the concept. And that brings me to my story about the late James Griffin (we all have one). I wrote an essay for Spree about heritage tourism for the November/December 2000 issue, and mentioned in passing that “We’ve come a long way from former mayor Jimmy Griffin’s incredulity that anyone would be impressed by the Sullivan Guaranty Building.” Really, “incredulity” was a mild substitute for what Griffin is reported to have actually said. The former mayor called me at my house soon after the issue came out, and—in a very civil fashion—reminded me that regardless of what he had said, it was under his watch that Louis Sullivan’s downtown masterpiece was saved from the wrecking ball. I was impressed that he took the trouble—and still cared enough. I am also convinced that if we take the trouble—and care enough—we can make Western New York known as an important cultural tourism destination. And if you’re interested, the essay that prompted my one and only conversation with the late James Griffin is archived on Chuck LaChiusa’s Buffalo architecture site at preserve.bfn.org/canal/shock.html. Have a great summer! Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top