"I Love NY" Not Getting State Funding Love

NY State budget problems have claimed another victim: Communities that benefit from the state's I Love NY tourism marketing efforts. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, the state is "dumping plans for a summer advertising campaign to lure tourists to New York, cutting tourism funding and not sending a representative to the travel industry's premier international conference...where companies from around the globe will consider where to send vacationers." A Binghamton travel information center may close this month, and the Chamber of Commerce president worried, "What are visitors to our community going to say when they enter New York state, stop to use the bathroom, and there's a sign up of (travel) information and it says, 'Closed for Business'?"

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By Jen Chung in News on May 10, 2010 1:54 PM

Comments [rss]

Wza

Maybe save money by cutting the heart in half?

really!?!?

Dumb move. Upstate benefits way more from this campaign then the City does. And summer is their only tourist season (no quality ski slopes to bill themselves as a year-round destination) so they are shooting themselves in the foot at the worst moment.

Tourism is a huge boon for a local government as it raises revenues without depending on local community's ability to spend. On average, any city/state that has put together a somewhat coherent tourism board/campaign in recent years has seen $10 come in for every $1 spent.

Cutting this campaign is short sited. I understand that they are dealing with serious budget issues, but this is one of the line items that generates revenue, it generates revenue without taxing constituents. This is not an expense that should be cut when the state is looking to raise money in an environment with high unemployment.