Suspect, beard and brown boots, led to on Captain Lawrence Brewing
Company in Elmsford
is one of dozens of craft breweries in the Valley
HUDSON VALLEY – A just-released state report found that tourist
spending in the Hudson Valley reached $5.5 billion in 2017.
The top five sectors experiencing growth between 2016 and 2017 were food
and beverage, lodging, recreation, retail and transport. Of those, food
and beverage and recreation were the largest economic generators, making
up 28 percent and 25 percent of the total respectively.
Of the total spending, $1.9 billion occurred in Westchester County, a
figure that doesn’t go unnoticed by County Executive George Latimer.
“We talk many times about how are we going to grow our economy and
people sometimes think of bricks and mortar, manufacturing, but service
industries that are represented by restaurants and hotels is a growth
industry and is part of the changing way in our society that people consume
services,” he said.
Westchester Tourism Director Natasha Caputo is president of Hudson Valley
Tourism, Inc. representing the 10-county region from Albany to Westchester.
“We’re seeing a bid trend related to the natural beauty of
the Hudson Valley,” Caputo said. “We really do offer the gamut
here when it comes to parks and outdoor recreation, from hiking for beginnings
to zip-lining for thrill-seekers.”
The craft beverage industry is booming in the region with wineries and
breweries across the region attracting both locals and tourists.
The tourism industry in the Hudson Valley employed over 88,800 people
in 2017 and generated almost $682 million in taxes.
