Albany, New York - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of the next phase of the 2014 winter-spring tourism campaign, featuring two television advertisements that promote recreational activities and tourism attractions in Upstate New York. The 30 second spots highlight two great New York State assets, snowmobiling and baseball, and are part of ongoing print, television, radio and digital tourism advertisements through the I LOVE NY campaign. The snowmobiling ad can be seen here, and the baseball ad can be seen here.
“Upstate New York has some of the best tourist attractions in the world and we are committed to promoting them as go-to destinations for our residents and visitors across the globe,” said Governor Cuomo. “With places like Tug Hill Plateau and the Baseball Hall of Fame, Upstate communities offer something for everyone all year long. Tourism plays an integral role in the economy, and we will continue our work to make sure it thrives, creates jobs, and generates new economic opportunities for our state.”
The television ad featuring snowmobiling upstate is currently running, and the Baseball Hall of Fame ad featuring the legendary former NY Yankee coach Joe Torre will begin running on Mar. 6. Both ads will run in major markets, in-state as well out-of-state, on early morning shows and cable networks.
“With tourism ranking as the State’s fifth largest employer, it is clear the industry continues to have a significant impact on the State’s economic growth,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams. “These commercials complement the great work the State has done in promoting tourism through its visible sponsorships and special events and builds on its ongoing successful advertising campaign to encourage travelers to visit and enjoy the very best of New York across the State.”
According to recent projections, it is estimated that 8.8 million more visitors traveled to New York State in 2013 than in 2012, representing an increase of 4.2 percent. In addition, the industry is projected to have generated $7.7 billion in state and local taxes with direct spending expected to have reached $61.3 billion, up 7 percent from 2012 and double the national average.
The tourism industry is also projected to have added 24,800 jobs, a 3.1 percent increase from 2012, also double the national average. In total, leisure and hospitality is projected to have finished the year with 818,700 jobs, making tourism the third fastest growing job sector in New York State.
The winter-spring ad campaign continues Governor Cuomo’s unprecedented commitment to promoting tourism and supporting economic development across New York in order to generate revenue and create jobs.
Last summer, Governor Cuomo held various high-profile events to highlight locations in Upstate New York as world-class tourism destinations, including the first ever Adirondack Challenge, a two day festival with a whitewater challenge featuring the Governor, state and local elected officials, and members of the media.
The Governor also attended the BassMasters Tournament in the Thousand Islands, which drew more than 34,100 people to the four day event. There, he announced that the 2014 BassMaster Elite Series will return to New York in 2014, including the “Governor’s Challenge,” a fishing competition featuring the Governor, elected officials from New York State and some of the biggest names in professional fishing to highlight the state’s many fishing and vacation opportunities.
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has made growing the job-creating, revenue-producing tourism industry – especially Upstate – a top priority. In May 2013, Governor Cuomo kicked off the state’s tourism efforts by hosting the Tourism Summit in Albany, where he announced $60 million in tourism funding – the highest level of tourism funding in decades – as well as other initiatives including: a new I Love NY marketing campaign with the Port Authority and MTA, Taste NY marketing efforts, an international tourism campaign, I Love NY in Times Square, and I Love NY LGBT.
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