The flourishing tourism and film industries and their associated economic benefits took center stage at the second annual economic summit in Orange County on Sept. 15.
County Executive Steve Neuhaus said at the event that when tourists and film industry professionals visit Orange County, they spend money, and “that is why it all matters.”
“The sales tax is really the biggest trunk of what I and the Legislature use to balance the budget to make sure the county is providing those services for you,” he said.
Sales taxes cover nearly half of county expenses.
County Economic Development Director Steve Gross said the influx of visitors also brought about ripple effects in the host communities, creating jobs and buoying small businesses.
He cited the county’s central location in the Northeast region; close proximity to the world’s largest market, New York City; and intersecting highway systems as its natural advantages, which, coupled with top destinations of all stripes, drives the tourism engine in the county.
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, Legoland New York, green spaces such as state parks and county trails, boutique breweries and wineries, and signature events and festivals were highlighted at the event, along with arts, cultural, and historical destinations.
“[We have] places like United States Military Academy at West Point, Washington’s Headquarters [State Historic Site] in Newburgh, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor, Storm King Art Center, and the internationally renowned Shen Yun has its training headquarters right here in Orange County,” Mr. Gross said.
Keynote speaker and famous destination marketer Josiah Brown said a tourist-friendly county would attract and retain young professionals because millennials care more about where to visit than where to work in comparison to older generations.
“This becomes the ‘visit, live, work’ strategy. That is how powerful inviting visitors into a community is,” he said, noting that Orange County is one of few local governments in the state that has consistently invested in tourism to bring it to the next level.
As for the film industry, Orange County has welcomed 40 productions in the past eight years or so, with these productions spending more than $1 billion across the state, according to Yoni Bokser, the other keynote speaker and the executive director of the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture and Television Development.
Mr. Bosker credited the growth to the state’s film production tax credits, the work of the county tourism and film department, and the county’s location.
Orange County sits close enough to the talent pool in New York City but also far enough from the city for production teams to be eligible for additional state incentives, he said.
Soundstages are key for attracting productions, and having recently converted a former retail space at Newburgh Mall into a certified soundstage, the county will soon add three more to its roster.
How to Do Better
County Tourism Director Amanda Dana mentioned at the event her staff’s efforts to market the various destinations offered by the county to people in the New York metro area and beyond.She also asked a panel of representatives from major destinations and the hospitality industry how the county could better support them and create a better visitor experience.
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets General Manager David Mistretta said the county provides a great support network, but if he must name one area that the county could do better in, it would be to continue to bring in more commercial airlines at Stewart International Airport.
Sonny Patel, owner of the retail beverage chain Beer World and a hotel developer, said he hoped more townships in the county would welcome commercial development with open arms.
In a written statement, state Sen. James Skoufis commended the economic development in the county while urging more thoughtful tax incentives, more diversity in job sectors, and better transportation infrastructure linking major destinations.
