As the pandemic (hopefully) dies down, social distancing and stay-at-home orders wane, industries that were most badly hit are coming back.  One example of this is tourism with Madison County Tourism (New York’s official tourism promotion agent), taking the lead. 

A partnership for New York and tourism advocacy has been established in an effort to advertise to New Yorkers how they can “Roam the Empire” and benefit from the local attractions, while bolstering the local economy.  New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) President Bob Provost pointed out:

“In any given year, New York State’s diverse destinations and attractions provide great reasons for our fellow New Yorkers to plan their getaways within our borders. But this year is different. This year, New Yorkers choosing to vacation in New York will make a huge impact. They will help reemploy over 300,000 of their fellow New Yorkers who lost tourism-related jobs during the pandemic in 2020. They will help revitalize local businesses and communities. And they will restore sorely needed state and local tax revenue to help fund our state’s economic recovery.”

Madison County Tourism President said Truman Hartshorn added:

“New York is such a beautiful state. With scenic byways, craft breweries and wineries, downtown shopping, farm-to-table restaurants and more, there is so much to explore. And we’re proud to encourage New Yorkers to ‘Roam the Empire’—including Madison County—just as soon as they are ready to travel.”

Given that tourism was probably the most impacted industry in New York during the pandemic, this is very good news.