Visitation spiked in 2nd half of 2024, but questions remain on how 2025 will play out
By Tim Rowland
Essex County, the economic epicenter of the Adirondacks, shattered records for overnight accommodations in 2024, booking 24,184 more room nights than in 2023, according to the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST).
But as summer approaches, a giant question mark hangs over the hospitality industry. The Trump administration’s comments and policies have angered Canadians, and travelers from other nations fear they might be turned away or detained by unpredictable American border agencies.
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On the plus-side of the ledger, ROOST is ramping up for the 250th anniversary of American Independence in 2026, which could potentially echo last year’s solar eclipse as a tourist draw.
The ROOST numbers — which reflect guests at traditional hotels, motels and inns — also show how critical the tourism economy is in Essex County, one of two counties entirely inside the Blue Line, and by far the most populous.
Drilling down into 2024 Adirondack tourism numbers
According to Smith Travel Reports, which tracks about 80% of the total rooms in Essex County (meaning its numbers are likely on the low side) there were nearly a half-million nights booked in 2024.
ROOST President and CEO Dan Kelleher said each room-night in Essex County generates approximately $537 in daily spending and $21 in sales tax, for a total impact of more than $13 million in visitor spending and $519,000 in sales tax revenue.
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This demonstrates the outsized share tourism contributes to the local economy.
“For every dollar spent in Essex County in 2024, 36.5 cents came from someone who lived outside of Essex County,” Kelleher said in a briefing to county supervisors.
The eclipse was part of the 2024 bump, although it accounted for only 3,670 room-nights, or about 15% of the increase. The primary explanation for the surge was weather related.
“In terms of last year’s performance, 2024 started the year out a bit slow due to a low snowpack and considerable rain,” Kelleher said. “The latter six months of the year had some terrific weather, which allowed us to see greater traction in our marketing and messaging efforts.”
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Canadian travel decline raises concerns
Those marketing efforts are changing somewhat based on recent political events. In late February, the analyst Tourism Economics sharply ratcheted down its expectations for international travel this year — what had been forecasted to be a 9% increase in foreign visitation is now expected to be a 5% decline.
“An expanded trade war scenario could result in sharper declines in travel demand and economic output than previously projected,” analysts wrote. “Sweeping tariffs on key trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, and China, triggering retaliatory measures disrupt economic conditions and travel flows. Additional uncertainty stems from deteriorating travel sentiment in Europe due to tariff policies and ongoing geopolitical tensions.”
Related reading: How US-Canada political tensions are impacting Adirondack tourism
That appears to be bearing out, at least as far as the Canadian market is concerned. Kelleher said that sample sizes of hard data are currently too small to grow concrete conclusions, but that there are warning signs that anger toward the U.S. will lead to lost revenue locally.
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“Our paid advertising in Canada has received significant negative comments online,” he said. “And then when we look at our traffic to our websites from Canada, we’re down roughly 40%.”
Focus shifts to bringing in domestic travelers
In response, Kelleher said ROOST is cutting back on Canadian advertising, and redirecting it domestically. The message to Canadians remains that they are welcomed and loved in the Adirondacks, and hopefully they will return when the dark clouds pass. Meanwhile, ROOST hopes to reach new markets domestically.
“We’re hopeful that we’re going to be able to offset that drop of anticipated drop in Canadian visitation with new, American customers,” Kelleher said. “And hopefully, when everything shakes out, the Canadian visitors rise, and then these new American visitors keep coming.”
Photo at top: A scene from the Songs at Mirror Lake summer concert series at Mid’s Park in Lake Placid. Explorer file photo by Nancie Battaglia
Hope you’re keeping your eye on the prize? The rail trail extended to the Old Forge area would bring a huge boost to the Tourism numbers and dollars. Less snow for Snowmobiling, less transitional seasons, more year round hospitality income and employment. The Train, for its 10 trips a year and 40 some hours of tourist visitation does little or nothing. We need more reasons to come not more ways to get here. The current rail trail is great, but a drop in the bucket when assessed as a whole model including communities to Old Forge
Scott, on expanding the rail trail to Old Forge.. That proverbial train has left the station. If we wanted to expand the rail trail to Old Forge then we should not have agreed to renovate those tracks – which is happening. Too late.
The Biden Administration raised tariffs on canadian lumber to 14.5% from 8% last fall. Why wasn’t everyone up in arms when we did that? This just seems like the media giving us a bad wrap. Sounds like they like increasing taxes when democrats do it, or at least they don’t care about it?
Might have something to do with a certain president saying he wants to take over Canada and calling the PM governor. And of course all the other tariffs in addition to lumber. And then there’s the US becoming an autocracy and arresting even those legally here. Just a thought.
Paul,
I suspect much has to do with belligerence of the Administration to ALL trading partners and the scale and scope of the tariffs. If you rely on “shock and awe” as your main policy technique, one has to expect blowback. Trump LOVES the chaos. Question is, will our savings and 401ks survive it? He and his billionaire buddies don’t have to worry about that.