By Maureen Werther
Warren County is “successfully growing its tourism economy,” according to Joanne Conley, director of the county’s Tourism Department.
In the last two years, the department completed what she called a “much-needed overhaul,” including increased social media engagement and digital campaigns directed toward a diverse audience.
Conley said that her department has transformed at least six niche-focused print publications into one consolidated and content-rich, year-round travel guide.
She said that her first order of business when she took over the department two years ago was to “find our famous.” She said every vacation destination has something that sets it apart from other locations. She and her staff brainstormed to find a marketing message that would be a cornerstone for years to come.
“The end result was the revelation that the Lake George area is ‘the original vacation,’” said Conley.
“This is the destination that inspired mid-1800s city dwellers to travel by train to the lakes and mountains. This is a branding gold mine that eluded the department for more than 80 years and is the perfect platform for year-round promotion,” said Conley.
This year, Conley’s department launched a responsive, mobile-first website with search engine optimization. The site offers more than just listings. It is based on content people are actively searching for. As a result, Conley said that user sessions in the first five months totaled more than all of 2016. She added that outbound clicks to business partners totaled 205,000. A “book now” button facilitates direct booking with properties that have online booking capabilities.
“The department’s leading social media platform, Facebook, is approaching a quarter of a million followers who are truly engaged in the content shared. Cost per engagement is pennies on the dollar and generates highly coveted peer-to-peer recommendations,” she said.
Conley said that as the destination marketing organization for the county, the Tourism Department has data to support the good health of the tourism industry.
She said the department “has an aggressive marketing program in place, and continues to cultivate valuable relationships with local, regional and statewide tourism partners.”
“The health of the tourism industry in the Lake George Area is strong and there is measurable growth across a number of industry segments to support this. If you look at a snapshot of the past four years, you can see that tourism indicators are showing sustained growth in Warren County,” said Conley.
She said the Smith Trend Report (STR), an industry information resource, looking at the numbers from 2013 through 2016 showed that demand totals have increased by 1.73 percent and year-to-date room sales are up nearly 2 percent over 2016.
For the same period, Conley said sales tax revenue increased by 4.9 percent, occupancy tax collections have increased 12.5 percent and direct traveler spending went up by nearly 8 percent.
Recent construction in Warren County included a 119-room Courtyard Marriott in Lake George, in addition to three other properties located off Northway exits 18 and 19 that have added to the supply of rooms available.
Conley said while some hoteliers have voiced concern about the addition of new rooms, she thought it important to point out remarks made by David Kenny, when he announced the construction of the Courtyard Marriott in Lake George Village. “He astutely pointed out that ‘Marriott doesn’t open a hotel anywhere without doing some research.’”
She said new hotel construction points to a healthy tourism economy and demand within the marketplace.
Conley said other segments of the hospitality industry are showing growth, including campgrounds and vacation rentals. She said there is not a sole collection point for campground data, but according to a 2017 Tourism Economics report, camping is a $1.2 billion industry and campground owners in Warren County reported a good 2017 season.
She said in terms of the private-rental market segment, Airbnb rentals and revenue doubled from 2015 to 2016. “With an average length of stay of 2.7 nights and 2016 revenue at $1.5 million, this segment cannot go unnoticed.”
“Traditional hotels are seeing sustained growth at the same time as the burgeoning shared economy market is growing,” she noted, adding that Warren County is seeing an increase in travelers and, for many, their lodging preferences are changing.
“This is a shift that the Tourism Department is closely monitoring,” said Conley.
She said tourism infrastructure and events are critical catalysts in attracting visitors to the area and providing a high-quality vacation experience. The county’s occupancy tax collections have been used to support such venues as the Cool Insuring Arena, Festival Commons in Lake George, the Bolton Landing Visitor Center, and others.
The Warren County Tourism Department supports events like the Thurman Maple Days, the Adirondack Balloon Festival, the Adirondack Wine and Food Festival and others. The county’s comprehensive website includes a calendar, a weekly top to-do blog post and Facebook posts.
In 2018, the department “will fully optimize top-tier events to insure they result at the top of search ranking lists,” she said.
Conley said the department has a close relationship with local businesses and stakeholders, regional tourism partners and state-level promotion agencies.
“These relationships are invaluable in terms of market recognition and industry research,” she said.