April 21, 2004, Wednesday
Watertown Daily Times (NY)

Report Reveals Tourism Brought $ 1.5 Billion into Northern New York Last Year

Tourists spent more than $ 1.5 billion in Northern New York last year, including $ 358 million in the Thousand Is lands/Seaway region, according to a nine-month study released Tuesday.

The $ 75,000 study, "2003 Economic Impact of Expenditures by Tourists on Northern New York," was conducted by Davidson- Peterson Associates, Kennebunk , Maine , on behalf of the Northern New York Travel and Tourism Research Center at Potsdam State University College .

Results of the study, which was funded through federal grants obtained by Rep. John M. McHugh, R- Pierrepont Manor, and U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., were presented during a forum held at the Antique Boat Museum here. A similar forum was held earlier in the day at Lake George .

According to the study, the money tourists brought into the area directly or indirectly supported 35,000 jobs in Northern New York, including 8,716 in the Thousand Is lands/Seaway region, which consists of Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties.

Visitors also spent more than $ 36 million in Lewis County last year, supporting 751 jobs, according to the study.

The study covered 10 counties in the north country, including seven in the Adirondack mountains , where tourists spent about $ 1.21 billion and helped support 26,247 jobs in 2003.

Laurie A. Marr, executive director of the travel and tourism re search center, said the study represents the most comprehensive look at the economic impact of tourism on the area completed to date.

Ms. Marr said nothing in the study could be characterized as surprising because "this has never been done before."

"We've never seen this type of data, so we have nothing to compare it to," she said.

In addition to pointing out the economic impact of tourism on the area, Ms. Marr said, the information in the study is valuable to people considering locating a tourist-related business in Northern New York .

She said she frequently receives calls from people who are putting together business plans for the area but are having a hard time acquiring the type of data that banks need to decide whether to back a project financially.

"For a business plan, this can tell you what you need," she said. "The needs (for information) are varied; it depends on what you're doing, but at least now we have something to look at."

The study is expected to be avail able online within a few days at www.nnytourismresearch.org/reports.

The study shows that almost 5 million people visited the area for an overnight stay in 2003, including 3.4 million in the Adirondacks and 1.6 million in the Thousand Is lands region.

Broken down, almost 700,000 overnight visitors in Jefferson County spent $ 162 million in 2003, while 416,000 visitors spent $ 81 million in St. Lawrence County.

Lewis County had 148,000 visitors who contributed to its $ 36 million in spending.

According to the study, if tourism expenditures were removed from Northern New York , the unemployment rate in the 10-county area would jump to 23 percent. Minus the tourists' dollars, Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties would have unemployment rates of 18 percent, 15 percent and 42 per cent, respectively.

Without sales tax revenues, revenues from the sales of licenses and other revenues local governments receive because of tourism, the study shows that each household in Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties would see its local taxes raise annually by $ 322, $ 175, and $ 342, respectively.

Gary S. DeYoung, executive director of the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council, said the study can be used to convey messages to public policy makers about the importance of tourism to the region.

"When you have a problem, there's 8,000 jobs on the line," he said.

Ms. Marr said the study will serve as "a baseline" for future tour ism studies and comparisons of these data. The research center will look at aspects of the study to deter mine areas that require further study.

The study was conducted by a combination of "man on the street" surveys on spending, a survey of all lodging properties, including camp grounds, in the region and a random sample of 411 Northern New York residents.