Greetings NYSTIA colleagues:

You may have seen the press release issued yesterday at the close of the Great New York State Fair where Governor Cuomo announced the new tourism numbers for New York State.

The results are historic: Record high numbers of visitation (more than 250 million, a 3.7% increase from the year before) and direct visitor spending; tourism's economic impact is now a staggering $114.7 billion, a growth of $6 billion year over year; and tourism remains the state's third largest industry, supporting close to one million jobs.

It is worth nothing that the growth was statewide, with every region of the state seeing an increase in its tourism numbers.

Any way you look at it, the statistics represent a phenomenal achievement for all of us in New York State's tourism industry. We here at the NYS Division of Tourism / I LOVE NY are very aware that it is only through our collective efforts – state and local, public and private – that we are able to achieve this level of success. We are so grateful for your partnership and hard work to help make tourism such a vital economic driver that benefits the people of the Empire State.

Congrats to us all, and onward and upward!

Many thanks,
Ross
Ross D. Levi
Executive Director / Vice President
New York State Division of Tourism – I LOVE NY
Empire State Development