Westchester now represents 45 percent of all visitor spending in the Hudson Valley region — up 5 percent over last year and totaling almost $2 billion, according to the latest report from Tourism Economics.
This places the county third in the state, behind only New York City and Long Island as regional leaders in tourist cash flow. County Executive George Latimer says that there are multiple points of attraction that are bringing visitors to Westchester:
“Whether it be for business meetings, outdoor recreation, art exhibits, history, music, or great food, Westchester County is your ideal destination. These record numbers show that our efforts to promote all we have to offer in our picturesque county are working,” he says.
Travel and tourism don’t only provide increases in revenue to business owners; the industry supports vital services that the county’s residents rely on. Local and state taxes generated $233 million in 2018 from this industry alone.
Tourism generated more than $1 billion in labor income in 2018, making tourism more significant here than in any other Hudson Valley region. Still, the County is least dependent upon tourism, maintaining the lowest percentage of labor income generated by visitors and the lowest percentage of employment sustained by visitors, after Putnam County.
“The county reached new heights as a destination in 2018,” says Natasha Caputo, Westchester’s Film and Tourism Director. “The collective efforts between our tourism partners are paying off and reinforce that we are an ideal, and idyllic, destination for both business and leisure.”
