Work on the plan began in August 2018 with the establishment of the plan update steering committee. The plan was prepared with the help of many people who live and work in Tompkins County. A community survey was conducted in late 2018 and early 2019 – this survey gathered feedback from 309 people regarding their ideas for tourism development. A facilitated “focus search process” stakeholder meeting with 21 representatives of local non profit organizations was held in April 2019 to determine how our community can advance tourism. In addition, numerous small group meetings have been convened to examine specific topics.
The Strategic Tourism Plan considers our current conditions as well as many emerging issues which have the potential to impact travel and tourism in our county. The plan was informed by the findings of the 2019 Visitor Profile Study – an in-depth analysis of people who recently visited Tompkins County. Nearly 2,100 visitors participated in this study through online or in-person surveys. A public comment period was held from October 23 to November 11, 2019.
The plan contains eight overall goals and additional goals in fifteen focus areas. The plan proposes specific actions and measures for each focus area.