SYRACUSE — Visitor travel spending grew 3.5 percent in Onondaga County during 2012 compared to the previous year, according to a new report analyzing the impact of tourism in New York.
The Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) on Friday released details about the report, entitled Economic Impact of Tourism in New York.
Visitors to Onondaga County spent $791 million in 2012, up from $764 million the previous year, the report found.
The $791 million in travel spending supports more than 16,700 jobs in Onondaga County and generates $103 million in tax revenue, according to the SCVB.
The tourism-generated state and local sales-tax revenue in 2012 prevented the average household in Onondaga County from paying an additional $565 in annual taxes, the organization added.
“Continued growth in tourism to Onondaga County shows the significant impact of our recent product changes including Destiny USA and the revitalization of downtown Syracuse, when combined with increased travel volume,” David Holder, president of the SCVB, said in a news release.
The same report from Philadelphia–based Tourism Economics found that New York’s tourism economy grew about six percent in 2012 following an eight-percent expansion in 2011.
Statewide visitor spending reached a new high of $57.3 billion in 2012 “reaffirming that travel and tourism remains a vital and growing component of the New York state economy,” according to the SCVB news release.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com