Gay travelers included in New York’s multimillion-dollar marketing
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) has announced the launch of New York’s largest tourism campaign in decades, designed to grow the industry, create jobs and attract even more visitors to the Empire State.
The governor’s announcement came at the conclusion of the New York State Tourism Summit last week in Albany, where hundreds of tourism experts discussed new ways to bring tourists to every corner of the state.
As the fifth-largest employment sector in New York, tourism supported 714,000 jobs and generated more than $29 billion in wages in 2012. One out of every 12 jobs in New York is tourism related. The more than 202 million international and domestic visitors to the state last year resulted in $57 billion in direct tourism spending, and generated $7 billion in state and local taxes.
“New York State has some of the most beautiful tourist attractions in the world. From the peaks of the Adirondacks to the beaches of Long Island, no matter what you’re looking for you can find it here,” Cuomo said. “I want the world to know about these assets, too, and am committed to making the state a ‘must see’ global destination and creating new jobs and investments in New York.”
Highest Level of Tourism Funding in Decades
The governor announced the state would invest nearly $60 million in tourism funding, making New York state third in the country in tourism funding. Last year, the state invested $19 million.
Included in the multimillion dollar effort is an I Love NY LGBT niche tourism initiative to market New York to the LGBT community, which accounts for approximately $70 billion in tourism spending in the U.S. every year.
More information on visiting New York is available at ILoveNY.com.
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