Awards of Distinction winners
HYDE PARK – Dutchess Tourism celebrated National Travel Rally Day at their annual “Awards of Distinction” breakfast at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum on Tuesday.
At the gathering of representatives from several of the county’s tourist attractions, Dutchess Tourism Inc. President and CEO Mary Kay Vrba and County Executive Marcus Molinaro touted the impact that tourism has on the Dutchess County economy.
Vrba said over 9,900 jobs, almost $38 million in local sales tax, and approximately $528 million in spending are generated by tourism in Dutchess. Additionally, according to Vrba, in the absence of tourism, the average Dutchess County household would pay an additional $559 in property taxes per year, to cover the revenue shortfall.
Molinaro credited the county’s successful tourism efforts to Vrba.
“Dutchess Tourism is respected,” Molinaro said. “There is no entity like it and because of their work over the years, no matter who else says so, Dutchess County’s tourism industry has been growing because Dutchess County Tourism is committed to selling and continuing to resell the message of Dutchess.”
The 2017 Awards of Distinction are divided into seven categories; Hospitality, Outdoors, Family Entertainment, Culinary, Arts, and the Dutchess County Executive’s Award for Overall Distinction. Finalists in the categories were a representation of the finest that the county has to offer, according to Molinaro during his remarks. The award winners, announced jointly by Vrba and Molinaro were:
Hospitality: The Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site and was accepted by 95-year-old Doris Mack, who actually spent time with the former First Lady.
Outdoors: The Harlem Valley Appalachian Trail Community, a partnership by the towns of Pawling and Dover. The award was accepted by Pawling Town Supervisor David Kelly and Co-Chair of the HVAT Community Stancy DuHamel.
History: The Staatsburgh State Historic Site which offers events such as the Gilded Age of Christmas at their site.
Family Entertainment: DC Sports. The award was accepted by the owner of the former Fun Central site on Route 9 in Wappingers Falls, Dan Pizzarelli.
Culinary: Oliver Kita Fine Chocolates. The award was accepted by internationally renowned chocolatier, Oliver Kita.
Arts: Dia Center of Beacon.
The final presentation was the announcement of the Dutchess County Executive’s Award for Overall Distinction was presented to Millbrook Vineyards and Winery. The facility was founded in 1981 by John Dyson and David Bova and was the region’s first vineyard in the Hudson River Valley dedicated exclusively to the production of vinifera grapes, according to Molinaro.
“The Awards of Distinction are a way for us to celebrate the excellent work our tourism partners are doing to create a Distinctly Dutchess experience for the millions of visitors that travel to the Hudson Valley every year,” said Vrba. The head of Dutchess Tourism also listed the top visited tourism attractions in the county, a list topped by the Walkway Over the Hudson with over 540,000 visitors and included other notable attractions including the Culinary Institute of America, home of the Hudson Valley Renegades; Dutchess Stadium; the FDR Presidential Library and Museum; and the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.
