Tourism numbers increase, but lag state trend

FINGER LAKES--According to a recent tourism study by Philadelphia-based Tourism Economics, Yates County saw 2.2 percent more traveler spending in 2014 than it did in 2013. Tourism Economics is part of the Oxford Economics Company headquartered in Oxford, England that provides economic analysis, forecasts and consulting advice. Traveler spending increased to $62,523,000 in 2014, up from $61,177,000 in 2013. However, Yates County's growth is somewhat less than the Finger Lakes average of 3.9 percent growth.
The report compares the tourism spending among 14 Finger Lakes counties, which includes Yates, Schuyler, Steuben, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Livingston, Monroe, Onondaga, Ontario, Seneca, Tioga, Tompkins and Wayne Counties. Yates County Chamber of Commerce President Mike Linehan gave a presentation to the legislature Monday, Aug. 10, saying the county's growth was "under average," compared to the Finger Lakes region. However, when compared to counties that recorded less than $100 million in traveler spending in 2014, only Wayne and Livingston County had better growth rates with 6.1 and 3.4 percent respectively. At 2.2 percent, Yates saw more growth than Chemung (1.6 percent), Seneca (1.5 percent), Cortland (0.5 percent), Schuyler (-2 percent) and Tioga Counties (-6 percent).
Linehan said 32 percent of 2014 tourism spending in Yates County goes toward food and beverage amounting in $21,223,000, while second homes and vacation rentals encompassed 30 percent, with $18,640,000. He also noted the lowest figure for Yates was $571,000 spent on recreational activities. According to the report, this is the lowest recreation figure among the 14 counties.
"Only 1 percent of dollars spent by visitors to our county was spent on recreation," Linehan said. "That is because we don't have anything for them to spend the dollars on. We need to develop recreation. Recreation is a tool that will keep them here."
Traditional lodging like hotels and motels amounted to 17 percent of tourism spending in the county, totaling $10,863,000. Brian Zerges, owner of the Penn Yan Best Western, said his business has seen pretty consistent growth with the 2.2 percent Yates as a whole is experiencing, adding the numbers are up but are not anything too significant.
The report also indicates Yates County saw $25,201,000 in total labor income for 897 employees, generating $4.5 million in local taxes and $3.4 million in state taxes. Without the tourism-generated state and local taxes, the report states the average household in Yates County would have to pay an additional $828 in taxes.
Schuyler County experienced a decline in traveler spending during this time, seeing a 2 percent decrease from $34,489,000 in 2013 to $33,784,000 in 2014. The only other county in the Finger Lakes that saw a similar decline during this period was Tioga County, who saw a 6 percent decrease in traveler spending.
The Finger Lakes region accounted for 5 percent of all traveler spending in the state in 2014. However, out of New York City and 10 other state tourism regions, the Finger Lakes was in the bottom three in traveler spending in a year-over-year comparison, mustering 3.9 percent growth from 2013 to 2014. Only Long Island and the Adirondacks saw lower traveler spending growth rates with 0.9 and 3 percent respectively. The Finger Lakes also counts on tourism economics more than most regions, with accounting for 5 percent of the state tax regional share. This makes it tied with the Hudson Valley at 5 percent and below only Long Island with 9 percent outside of New York City (66 percent).
The report claims tourism is the most important to the Adirondacks and Catskills regions, generating 19 percent and 15 percent of total employment respectively.
As a whole, New York State's tourism economy expanded in 2014 with 5.4 percent growth in traveler spending, reaching a new high of $62.5 billion. There were 748,000 jobs sustained in the state by tourism activity, with 8.2 percent of all state employment being sustained by tourism either directly or indirectly. This makes tourism now the fourth largest employer in New York State on the basis of direct tourism employment.
New York State tourism generated $7.8 billion in state and local taxes in 2014, saving each New York State household an average of $962 in taxes. Tourism-generated income also grew 4 percent in the state with increased employment and longer hours from workers, reaching $31.6 billion in 2014.