The Tompkins County Legislature by a vote of 13-0 (Legislator Anna Kelles was excused) endorsed the 2021-2027 Strategic Tourism Plan, as developed by the Strategic Tourism Planning Board (STPB). The Plan establishes eight overall goals, and serves as a guide for future investments of monies collected through the hotel room occupancy tax.
The goals for the next six years include: increasing the average overnight trip length by one night from 2-3 nights to 3-4 nights; increasing average visitor spending by 5% from $366 to $384 per day in established downtowns and villages; offering indoor and outdoor visitor programming year-round; increasing the share of new visitors from 24% to 30%; and increasing visual and physical access to Cayuga Lake through collaborative efforts with municipal and private stakeholders.
Legislator Martha Robertson (D-Dryden) praised the strategic plan, calling it “a thoughtful way of using tourism dollars in our community.”