Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/131907
WineEastNews 'Tourism Summit' Held in New York Gov. Cuomo wants to promote regions—including areas popular with wine-tasting consumers A lbany, N.Y.—After convening a "Tourism Summit" on May 8 to generate ideas for increasing what is already a $92 billion industry in New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a winesandvines.com $60 million allocation for tourism promotion. Learn more: The summit was similar to previous events Search keywords "Tourism Summit." the Cuomo administration has organized to promote other economic sectors, including one in October 2012 about wine, beer and spirits. Approximately 200 tourism business operators, trade association leaders, state and local government officials and representatives from private industry attended the summit to present their ideas and hear the governor's proposals. Cuomo has been actively seeking ways to boost the state's economy, which has been in a slow recovery from the Great Recession. In the past, the state has not focused much funding on promoting New York's natural attractions, including the Finger Lakes. "Now is the time to tell New York's story," Cuomo declared, adding that some bragging is needed to help boost local economies and create jobs upstate by drawing money and visitors from other states and countries. He continued, "Right now it (the promotion in New York) is all county by county. That's not working as well as it could." To address that problem, Cuomo announced a new program that will allocate $60 million for tourism promotion to encourage international and out-of-state tourists to visit upstate attractions as well as the beaches on Long Island. The state will work with the New York City Mass Transit Authority and the Port Authority, which will provide $2 million worth of advertising space on subways, bus and commuter rail systems and at airport arrival points to promote upstate tourism. In addition, television and print ads will market attractions by region within the state. According to the Cuomo administration, tourism is the fifth largest employer in New York and supported 714,000 jobs and generated more than $29 billion in wages in 2012. The more than 202 million international and domestic visitors to the state spent $57 billion in direct tourism spending and generated $7 billion in state and local taxes. Other suggestions at the Tourism Summit that may help wineries across New York included: • iving international visitors arriving at the state's airports and G staying in hotels a small, free taste of wine and beer made in New York and telling them how to visit the vineyards and breweries. • ffer direct hotel booking and information about upstate tourism O (including wine regions) to the millions of people flying into the state every year. • ggressively promote agriculture tourism to appeal to people who A love to eat locally grown food and to drink local wines. According to Jim Trezise, president of the New York Grape & Wine Foundation, "Tourism is the lifeblood of the New York wine industry, which in turn is a major generator of tourism to many of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (center) announces a new state program that will allocate $60 million for tourism promotion. New York's rural areas. Of the 335 existing wineries, my guess is that about 300 would not exist without the direct sales opportunity that tourism provides. And without the more than 5 million tourist visits attracted by the wineries each year, many bed and breakfasts, hotels, restaurants, gas stations and limo/bus companies would not be here. It's what they taught us in biology as a symbiotic relationship." —Linda Jones McKee As good As it gets. Natural Corks Champagne Corks Twinline Corks Bartops VISION® Wine Stopper G-Cap® Screw Cap Sales Representatives Chris & Liz Stamp info@lakewoodcork.com Lakewood Cork 4024 State Route 14 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 lakewoodcork.com 607-535-9252 607-535-6656 Fax Win es & V i n es JU NE 20 13 73