By Jill Nagy<\/p>\n
Officials at the Lake George and Adirondack Area Chambers of Commerce are gearing up for a blockbuster summer for tourism.<\/span><\/p>\n In Lake George, reservations for lodging are meeting or exceeding 2019, which was already \u201ca banner year,\u201d according to Amanda Metzger, marketing director for the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce. <\/span><\/p>\n Memorial Day weekend, despite rain, \u201cwas not slow here at all,\u201d she said. Forced indoors, visitors flooded museums and other indoor venues, she said. Some 760 of them registered at the visitors\u2019 center that weekend. More than 1,800 people used a last minute lodging website the week before Memorial Day.<\/span><\/p>\n Michael Bittel, president and CEO of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, was also enthusiastic. All signs point to a \u201cvery robust active summer,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are coming to swim, kayak, and bicycle as well as hike.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rental bicycles are available through Warren County at bicycle stops provided by CDPHP. Hikers are coming to the area.<\/span><\/p>\n Both officials said there are many first-time visitors, most of them from New York state, including New York City and the Capital District, as well as neighboring states. Because the border is closed,\u00a0 <\/span>the usual influx of Canadian visitors is missing but, according to Bittel, New Yorkers who cannot go to Canada are making up for the deficit. <\/span><\/p>\n But, \u201cWe need that border open,\u201d he said, so they can entertain both local and Canadian visitors.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe hope to welcome (Canadians) back soon. We can\u2019t wait,\u201d Metzger said. <\/span><\/p>\n She said representatives of the Lake George chamber usually attend a travel show in Montreal but were unable to do so this year.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMany entities, public and private, have come together as one voice,\u201d in an effort to encourage the opening the New York-Canada border, Bittel said.<\/span><\/p>\n An issue the tourism is struggling with, however, is the shortage of workers. In a typical summer, some 1,000 international students on J-1 visas work in hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions in Lake George, Metzger noted. This year, only a few are trickling in. Employers are trying to fill the gap with local high school students. They staged a job fair and reached out to local high schools.<\/span><\/p>\n Elsewhere in the area, employers sought help from Warren County Employment and Training, Bittel said.<\/span><\/p>\n ARCC is looking forward to the fall with live events from September on, beginning with a business awards dinner. Then, \u201cmore surprises to come,\u201d he promised.<\/span><\/p>\n While pleased with the activity in the area, Bittel is not surprised. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe live in the most beautiful area in the world,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jill Nagy Officials at the Lake George and Adirondack Area Chambers of Commerce are gearing up for a blockbuster summer for tourism. In Lake George, reservations for lodging are meeting or exceeding 2019, which was already \u201ca banner year,\u201d according to Amanda Metzger, marketing director for the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce. Memorial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n