Report reveals $26.6 million tourism impact on Chenango
CHENANGO CTY – Chenango County may not be a visitor mecca like the Finger Lakes or Adirondacks, but according to Audrey Robinson tourism still plays an important part in the local economy.
“Tourism does make an impact on Chenango County,” said Robinson, who serves as the county’s Tourism Coordinator, in addition to her role as Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Commerce Chenango.
But convincing area residents and leaders of that isn’t always easy.
“I think that most people don’t take tourism here seriously,” she explained. “They don’t see Chenango County as a tourist destination.”
Visitors, however, do see it as a destination, she said, and thousands come each year to enjoy the area’s scenic beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities and multitude of festivals and events.
Not only must she fight against what she says in an all-too-common misperception among local residents that there is no such thing as tourism in Chenango County, but her already shoe-string budget is being threatened by state budget cuts to tourism promotion programs like I Love NY.
She’s hoping, however, that a recent report released by New York State’s Empire State Development will help open eyes to the true impact tourism has on the area. Tourism Economics was commissioned by the state agency to “quantify the economic impact of tourism for the state of New York and each of its counties.”
According to the study, visitors to Chenango County contributed more than $26.6 million to the local economy in 2009. That total includes $1.37 million spent on lodging, $578,000 on recreation, $5.37 on food and beverages, $2.62 in retail and service station expenditures, $1.22 on transportation and $15.49 on the purchase of vacation property and second homes.
The report findings indicated these expenditures generated $1.71 million in local tax revenue, and supported 488 local jobs, both directly and indirectly.
While Robinson said these numbers are higher than what most people expect to hear, they actually represent a 24.1 percent decrease from the previous year. In 2008, prior to the recession which caused a contraction of the entire tourism industry, visitors spent $35.1 million in Chenango County, according to the study.
“Tourism does make an impact on Chenango County,” said Robinson, who serves as the county’s Tourism Coordinator, in addition to her role as Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Commerce Chenango.
But convincing area residents and leaders of that isn’t always easy.
“I think that most people don’t take tourism here seriously,” she explained. “They don’t see Chenango County as a tourist destination.”
Visitors, however, do see it as a destination, she said, and thousands come each year to enjoy the area’s scenic beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities and multitude of festivals and events.
Not only must she fight against what she says in an all-too-common misperception among local residents that there is no such thing as tourism in Chenango County, but her already shoe-string budget is being threatened by state budget cuts to tourism promotion programs like I Love NY.
She’s hoping, however, that a recent report released by New York State’s Empire State Development will help open eyes to the true impact tourism has on the area. Tourism Economics was commissioned by the state agency to “quantify the economic impact of tourism for the state of New York and each of its counties.”
According to the study, visitors to Chenango County contributed more than $26.6 million to the local economy in 2009. That total includes $1.37 million spent on lodging, $578,000 on recreation, $5.37 on food and beverages, $2.62 in retail and service station expenditures, $1.22 on transportation and $15.49 on the purchase of vacation property and second homes.
The report findings indicated these expenditures generated $1.71 million in local tax revenue, and supported 488 local jobs, both directly and indirectly.
While Robinson said these numbers are higher than what most people expect to hear, they actually represent a 24.1 percent decrease from the previous year. In 2008, prior to the recession which caused a contraction of the entire tourism industry, visitors spent $35.1 million in Chenango County, according to the study.
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