As I sit here thinking about all the good things that took place this year, I begin to direct my thoughts toward 2017.
Being the eternal optimist, I cannot help but think that 2017 will be as good as–if not better than–2016. The snowfall and seasonably cold weather we’re already experiencing has given us a good start to bringing the skiers, snowmobilers and other winter recreationalists to our area.
We are looking forward to mid-January, when the Adirondack Thunder will host the ECHL All-Star Hockey Game at the Glens Falls Civic Center. This comes with two days of events in Lake George and Glens Falls. The ECHL event is just one of many planned for the coming year.
The Lake George Winter Carnival transforms the village into a winter wonderland with activities, events and competitions every weekend in February.
About 31 mid-to-large-scale events are being planned throughout the region, it was noted at a recent Occupancy Tax Distribution recent meeting. That doesn’t include the multitude of smaller happenings that are taking place in the surrounding towns and villages.
All of these events are a nice barometer of how we are going to fare this coming year. I would be remiss if I did not say that, in addition to increased events, there has been a very welcomed increase and enhancement of hotel inventory in the area, including the opening of the new Courtyard by Marriott in Lake George; two, if not three, hotels under construction off Northway Exit 18; and the recently renovated Surfside Resort.
All of these properties, along with the thousands of available rooms (6,600) that our visitors can choose from, makes Warren County a major contributor to the $1.3 billion that the tourism industry generates in the Adirondacks.
According to a travel market analysis recently conducted by BBG&G Advertising Inc. and introduced to the public, visitor spending in Warren County alone is $570 million dollars.
These and other highlighted facts and figures within the study are very impressive. But what is more impressive is why tourism is important to Warren County and why we, as a region, should and must take what was presented from the study and begin to find ways to improve and increase these figures. This can be done by working together to bring more of an awareness that the Lake George Region is truly a year-round destination. That’s the thinking behind Lake George 365, an initiative that was created by the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB in September.
We no longer refer to our seasons as “off” or “in.” We recognize, instead, that each season — summer, winter, fall or spring–brings with it its own magic, events and attractions. In every season there is a reason to visit the Lake George region.
To put all of this in motion, it will take a concentrated effort among a variety of like-minded groups who truly see the value of a year-round destination. We see some of this starting with the Glens Falls Civic Center and the great work it is doing to attract events, other than hockey, to this much-improved facility. We’re looking forward to seeing increased bookings at the Civic Center.
The staff at our three Visitor Centers is eager to help visitors find information about things to do while they are here in the Lake George Region. We’re happy to see the information center located on the northbound side of the Adirondack Northway, between exits 17 and 18, getting some attention.
Once a motorist passes Exit 17 and crosses the Hudson River, they are entering the Adirondack Park.
The rest area just ahead has been in need of much renovation. We were delighted when the governor announced that starting in 2017, there will be 11 new “gateway” centers built in and around the state. This particular site will be designated as the “Gateway to the Adirondacks.”
This new construction will be taking place in 2017 and its completion (mid-2018) will only add to what we already know: Lake George is a year-round destination.
We’re looking forward to a very strong 2017 and beyond.