New York is one of the most popular destinations in the country for travelers. The state ranks fifth among all American states by the number of annual tourist visits. In 2018, New York’s revenue from tourist visits reached almost $72 billion, up over 6% from the prior year. This was approximately 35% above New York’s pre-recession all-time high.

The tourism industry represents a substantial share of New York’s economy. Although Adirondack’s tourism represents only a small amount of total New York tourism— which is driven in large part by New York City— it is approximately a $1.5 billion industry that is responsible for supporting over 21,000 jobs. Secondly, homeowners (another form of tourism) also contribute to the economic activity in the region, totaling over $250 million. 

The size of the industry in the Adirondacks, which is less heavily developed than other parts of the state, means that the Adirondacks are more heavily dependent on tourism than other regions. As the chart suggests, tourism represents a greater share of the Adirondack region’s economy than that of other regions. In total, tourism comprises approximately 18.5% of the Adirondack region’s economy. 

Given tourism’s central role within the regional economy, it is critical to understand the other impacts this industry has on the region. There are many incidental benefits, aside from revenue, associated with the tourism industry. Most important among these benefits is the unique opportunity in this region for outdoor recreation. Particularly over the last two years, the park has allowed people to safely access a place they can enjoy at low risk of Covid exposure. Over this period, the tourism industry managed to achieve the second-lowest transmission rates in New York despite experiencing a significant increase in the number of people that visited the park. 

Although the tourism industry has created many advantages for the Adirondack region, it has a downside as well. Originally, the region’s population consisted of farmers and people who worked the land in order to live. The shift towards tourism, and the fact that 18% of the population in this region now work in the tourism industry, means that some element of the history of the region has been lost. In addition, tourism has had a negative impact on the environment in the Adirondacks region. The region’s tourism infrastructure is simply not built to support the current volume of tourism. However, given the importance of tourism to the local economy, this is a difficult problem to address. The problem cannot be ignored though because the vast size and growth of tourism in the Adirondacks could put the region’s natural resources at risk of permanent deterioration.  

Council, Adirondack. “Overuse in the Adirondack Park.” Adirondack Council, https://www.adirondackcouncil.org/page/overuse-in-the-adirondack-park-298.html.

The Economic Impact of Tourism in New York – Roostadk.com. https://www.roostadk.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NYS-Tourism-Impact-2018-Adirondacks.pdf.

Explorer, Tim Rowland Adirondack. “How an Adirondack Tourist Destination Held off the Pandemic.” Times Union, Times Union, 19 July 2021, https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/How-a-tourist-destination-held-off-the-pandemic-16320438.php. 

“How the Adirondacks Fared in New York’s Budget.” Spectrumlocalnews.com, https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2021/04/16/how-the-adirondacks-fared-in-new-york-s-budget.

“Report: Adirondack Tourist Spending Up.” Report: Adirondack Tourist Spending up | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise, https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2019/09/report-adirondack-tourist-spending-up/.