Tourism offers one of the best hopes for job growth in northern New York. Tourism can be the engine that drives local economies, spurs job growth and business opportunities and improves the quality of life for people in the region. The lack of reliable, comparable tourism data, however, poses the greatest single barrier to developing sound regional marketing strategies and mechanisms for integrating tourism and economic development efforts. This lack of sound data hampers efforts to fully realize the promise of the tourism industry as an engine for economic development.

The Northern New York Travel and Tourism Research Center was created in 2001 in response to the need for tourism research and data collection, as expressed by tourism industry professionals and economic developers in the region. The Tourism Research Center serves the counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Warren, and the Town of Webb in Herkimer County.

Mission

The mission of the Northern New York Travel and Tourism Research Center is to fulfill the research and information needs of communities, tourism professionals, entrepreneurs and other industry stakeholders in the Adirondacks, Champlain Valley, Seaway Valley and 1000 Islands regions of New York State.

Goals and Activities

The specific areas of focus for the Tourism Research Center are flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the tourism industry. Initial priorities, identified by regional and state tourism officials, are under development. They include:

• Providing tourism-related research and tools that will help the industry make informed decisions about planning and promotion. This includes research projects focusing on the economic impact of tourism, customer behavior and lodging occupancy trends.
• Developing partnerships with regional economic developers and agencies to insure that the Tourism Research Center is providing the kind of data necessary to integrate tourism into their development activities.
• To serve as an industry resource for tourism information, collecting regional and statistical data, relevant studies and reports and helping determine practical applications for the information.
• To provide, in conjunction with other institutions in the region, training and education within the tourism industry by developing certificate programs, seminars and workshops for entrepreneurs, students, and industry professionals.
• To conduct public outreach activities focusing on the practical application of tourism-related research for tourism business owner/operators, community leaders and other industry stakeholders.
• To work in cooperation with state and regional tourism officials and the travel industry to develop a statewide research agenda.

Tourism Advisory Group

The Tourism Advisory Group has a wide geographic and professional representation and includes tourism professionals, lodging owner/operators, researchers, educators, government officials, economic developers and other stakeholders. The Tourism Advisory Group provides the industry perspective for the Tourism Research Center and identifies critical questions and data needs.

• Ann Melious (Chair), Adirondack Regional Tourism Council
• Gary DeYoung (Vice Chair), Thousand Islands International Tourism Council
• Neil Seymour (Treasurer), Franklin County Tourism
• Ellen Nesbitt  (Secretary), St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce
• Tom Connors, Ad Workshop, Lake Placid
• Steve Erman, Adirondack Park Agency
• Joe Gray, Constituent Services Representative for NYS Senator Joe Griffo,
  47th District
• Janet Clerkin, Oswego County Tourism & Promotion
• Bethany Yost, Lewis County Chamber of Commerce
• Michele Powers, Plattsburgh/North Country Chamber of Commerce
• Norm Howard, The Wawbeek, Upper Saranac Lake
• Kate Johnson, Warren County Tourism
• Bob Juravich, Development Authority of the North Country (DANC)
• Bruce Condin, Herkimer County/Town of Webb
• Elizabeth Little, NYS Senator, 45th District
• Howard Lowe, Technical Assistance Center, SUNY Plattsburgh
• Terry Martino, Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA)
• Carol Joanette, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau
• Bill Osborne, Hamilton County Tourism
• Tom Plastino, Council for International Trade, Technology, Education and
  Community (CITEC)
• Chris Westbrook, SUNY ESF/Wanakena Ranger School
• Dave Zembiec, Tug Hill Commission

Research Advisory Board

The Research Advisory Board takes the critical questions and data needs identified by the Tourism Advisory Group and provides guidance on the best methods of responding to those needs.  The Research Advisory Board consists of a group of experts versed in field research in a variety of pertinent areas including economics, tourism, recreation, fisheries and natural resources.  The Board will grow as needed.

Current Research Advisory Board members include:

Diane M. Kuehn, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor/Coastal Tourism Specialist
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, NY

John M. Farrell, Ph.D.
Research Associate and Director, Thousand Islands Biological Field Station
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, NY and Clayton, NY

John T. Omohundro, Ph.D.
Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Anthropology
SUNY Potsdam
Potsdam, NY

Funding

Seed money to cover the start up costs of the Tourism Research Center and initial programmatic activity was provided at the federal level and by counties in the service area. Tourism industry partners continue to actively work with federal and state representatives to secure funding for initial operations. The goal of the Tourism Research Center is to become self-sufficient following the initial start-up phase.  To that end, the Tourism Research Center now conducts research projects on a contractual basis for organizations, attractions and other businesses.