Holiday Snow

Well, the snow is finally starting to arrive - not all at once, but in dribs and drabs...and we are grateful for it.

It's one thing for skiers and riders to decry the lack of snowfall in the Adirondacks so far; they're just missing out on their fun. Of far greater consequence is the economic impact on the region where so many people rely on winter activities to make a living. It's not just those who work at ski resorts either. In weak snow years, the food and beverage industry sees less guests, the hotels, motels and lodges see less guests, the corner stores, sandwich shops, ski shops all see less business.

Then, think about the implications for the state's tax revenue. New York already has more than enough financial issues to worry about, right Andrew Cuomo? What happens when meals and lodging tax revenues drop for 4 months? How about sales taxes? Yeah, you get the picture.

OK, so it's easy to point the finger at the implications of a poor snowfall season, but not so easy to find the answers.

Let's start here: more funding from I Love NY advertising for the winter months. Currently, such programs typically focus on the warmer months with the schedule for their advertising....it's easier and safer to advertise when the weather has less of an impact of the flow of tourism dollars and far more of a risk to spend those dollars during the winter season when Mother Nature could throw out a nasty curve ball.

However, look at other states who realize so much revenue from the winter months, particularly from sports like skiing and snowboarding. Vermont spends a greater percentage of advertising dollars in the winter than does New York. New Hampshire (notoriously tightfisted with their money) also spends a higher percentage of advertising dollars in the winter than does New York.

Guess what? They are "known" to the general public as being homes for winter activities and sports. Yet, New York has more ski areas than both Vermont and New Hampshire combined, approximately. You do the math. See any correlation between the lack of financial support for the winter months and the reputation that follows?

Take a step forward New York. Look at how you allocate your advertising dollars and how the I LOVE NEW YORK advertising budget is distributed, step up and make a difference, not just to the resorts and the people who work directly for them, but also to all those other people and businesses who rely upon the winter influx of guests simply to survive in a tough economy. You can do this!