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Tourism Indicators Strong for Labor Day into Fall

WAMC/Pat Bradley

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are cautioning travelers to be prepared for busy crossings this Labor Day weekend. Regional tourism officials say that’s good news as they transition into the fall tourism season.

Customs and Border Protection officials say people using the border crossings in the region should allow extra time and be prepared with proper documents.  The federal agency noted that it is on track to exceed the number of travelers it processed during the Memorial and Labor Day weekends last year. Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Katy VanAnden is anticipating the uptick in border crossings.

In Saranac Lake, the Chamber’s Katy VanAnden says three-day weekends tend to have a large impact on tourism.

The tourism season in the Adirondacks got off to a slow start due to temperamental weather in  June and July. But August has been a banner month.
Adirondack Regional Tourism Council Executive Director Ron Ofner says the Labor Day holiday is extremely important for the Adirondack region.  He has spoken with a number of lodging properties and they have indicated they are at, or close to, 100 percent occupancy for the weekend.

The Lake Placid based Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism does not yet have data for August tourism visits. But President James McKenna says Labor Day is one the largest travel weekends of the summer season. The fact it falls this year at the end of August and beginning of September, he says, bodes well for occupancy rates.

Ron Ofner agrees that tourism trends are changing and fall is becoming a crucial time for the industry in this region.

The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism reports that year to date figures through July show a seven to eight percent increase over last year in visitor lodging.