WHAT TO EXPECT FROM KEY SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY Stories by Stefan Yablonski
TOURISM INDUSTRY Sportfishing in general is still a major draw for Oswego County. Pictured is Elizabeth Yuko, a freelance writer and Fordham University professor, with local charter captain Andy Bliss.
Sector is Rebounding, After Tough Pandemic Years
O
swego County tourism is seeing a resurgence. As the pandemic continues to fade in the rearview mirror, things look brighter in the future. “If we go back, the last 15 years — if we use occupancy tax collection as our metric — we’ve grown the economy by 273%,” said Dave Turner, director of the county’s Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. That includes the pandemic year. “We had that year, 2020, that saw a decrease of about 30%,” he said. “But then, the very next year, in 2021, we were back up. We had a good rebound in 2021 and then really significant improvement
last year as well.” Sportfishing in general is still a major draw for the county. “You’ve got Oneida Lake with a lot of walleye and other fish. That draws a lot of anglers,” he said. “Lake Ontario, the Salmon River and the fishery — really eclipses all of that.” There are other things that bring visitors to the area, he added. For example, people stay in hotels who might be here to work on a project at the nuclear plants, the hospital or Novelis, he said. “You also have to consider as well that the college activities bring many people to this area,” he said. “During the
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pandemic, you didn’t have parents here for graduation or parents’ weekend. Basketball, soccer, lacrosse, ice hockey — didn’t have all those visiting people and visiting teams and things like that. There was a reduction in all that during the pandemic.” That put a strain on other businesses — such as hotels, gas stations, restaurants and others. “The rebound was across all those categories. It’s not just more people are coming to go fishing or snowmobiling,” he said. “A visitor is a visitor in our minds and we do what we can to make sure that, for whatever reason you’re here, that you know about what there is to see and do and you have a good time so that you come back again.” The county legislature has authorized Turner’s department to rebuild the tourism website. That project will begin this year. “Hopefully, by this time next year,
