Westchester visitors on pace to set spending record

Following a record year for visitor spending in 2014, the Westchester County Tourism & Film Office expects to see that record topped this year, County Executive Robert P. Astorino recently announced.

Visitor spending hit a record $1.74 billion last year, which generated $207.7 million in revenue for the county and local municipalities. In a statement, Astorino said tourism has added $8.3 billion to Westchester’s economy since 2010. He did not provide an estimate for how much visitor spending the county is expected to see this year.

“These numbers show the growing popularity of Westchester as the ”˜Meet Me”™ destination in the Hudson Valley,” Astorino said. “Whether for business or pleasure, Westchester is attracting more and more visitors and that”™s great news for our economy.”

Upcoming fall attractions include American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm in North Salem on September on 9-13; Circus Latino! at Edge-on-Hudson in Sleepy Hollow from September  18-20; SOWE Music Festival at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck on September 19; White Plains Jazz Fest in downtown White Plains from September 24-27; Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture’s Harvest Fest on October 3; and the Westchester Knicks’ second season.

Astorino said visitor spending supported 23,681 jobs in Westchester in 2014. The county’s tourism industry, which ranks third in the state behind New York City and Long Island, represents 52 percent of all visitor spending in the Hudson Valley.

The Westchester Tourism and Film office is a division of the county Office of Economic Development.