Jimmy Zaccagnino, left, and Jeff Browne, right, both of Williamsville in Erie County, show off their catch after a beautiful day on Lake Ontario aboard Capt. Troy Creasy’s High Adventure sportfishing charter out of Oswego last summer. Fishing is one of the major tourism attractions in Oswego County, but the region also offers historic sites, […]
Jimmy Zaccagnino, left, and Jeff Browne, right, both of Williamsville in Erie County, show off their catch after a beautiful day on Lake Ontario aboard Capt. Troy Creasy’s High Adventure sportfishing charter out of Oswego last summer. Fishing is one of the major tourism attractions in Oswego County, but the region also offers historic sites, museums, festivals and other events, campgrounds, restaurants, and more. The Oswego County Visitors Guide offers a wealth of information about the best places to visit and events to experience in Oswego County. It is available at: http://visitoswegocounty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019_Visitor.Guide_Digital.Version_Small_FINAL-1.pdf. Visitor spending in Oswego County totaled $157.7 million in 2017 (the most recent numbers available), an increase of 8 percent over 2016, according to the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. The tourism industry supported an estimated 3,000 jobs in 2017, generating $69.1 million wages across the county. This year has been challenging with high water levels on Lake Ontario. That affected fishing charters out of Oswego and also resulted in the closure of some marinas in the northern part of the county for several months, says Janet West Clerkin, tourism & public information coordinator at the Department of Community Development, Tourism & Planning. Lake waters have come down, which has allowed affected marinas and charters to resume operations. Fishing on the lake has been “excellent and the reports are getting out [to anglers], which has helped with the recovery,” she says. The state on Aug. 1 launched a new campaign seeking to promote tourism in the Lake Ontario region, including TV ads that reach markets across New York, the Northeast, and into Canada that Oswego County tourism officials otherwise wouldn’t reach, says Clerkin. For fishing conditions, events, and more Oswego County visitor information, visit http://www.visitoswegocounty.com. (PHOTO BY MAX INCHAUSTI (SUBMITTED BY OSWEGO COUNTY PROMOTION AND TOURISM OFFICE)