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County tourism office reports nearly 20% boost in visitor-related taxes after bringing program in-house
Summary
Visit Montgomery County told the legislature it has increased bed tax and local tax receipts by nearly 20% after the county assumed management of tourism; staff detailed events, new marketing tools and 2025 plans tied to the Erie Canal bicentennial.
Montgomery County’s tourism office reported to the legislature that after the county brought tourism in-house, bed-tax and other local tax revenues generated by visitors increased by nearly 20%.
"Visit Montgomery County has seen growth and success in promoting itself as a 4 season destination... Since the county has taken over tourism, both the bed tax and local taxes generated through visitor spending have increased by nearly 20%," Morgan McClary of the county tourism department told legislators during the presentation.
Nut graf: The tourism office credited a locally focused strategy and a mix of digital and event-driven promotion for higher engagement and visitor spending; staff described new products and 2025 initiatives aimed at leveraging the Erie Canal Bicentennial.
McClary listed marketing and program highlights from the past year: a new tourism website and travel guide, an online agricultural map and printed stock cards highlighting farms and ag-tourism destinations, the Passport to History program connecting historic sites, and a new Southside Visitor Center. She said the center increased in-person visitor service during events such as Amsterdam’s ItaliaFest and the Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour, which draws more than 600 cyclists each summer.
The presentation included participation figures for several events: the county’s kayakathon grew from 56 tickets in 2023 to 106 in 2024, with about 54% of participants traveling from outside the county and averaging roughly 40 miles per trip, McClary said. The Burbank Forest disc-golf course drew 425 unique players in the prior year, visiting from 21 states according to UDisc data cited by staff. McClary also said digital reach increased: the office recorded nearly 400,000 website views and about 1.2 million people reached through digital advertising in 2024.
Looking ahead, McClary said four new digital kiosks would be installed in early 2025 in Canajoharie, Fonda, St. Johnsville and Fort Plain; the county will mark the Erie Canal Bicentennial with a Liberty Pole raising on May 17 and is launching a Montgomery County concert series and joining the Capital Region Beverage Trail.
Ending: McClary closed by urging continued investment in the tourism program, saying staff will share more success in the future. The legislature did not take formal action on the presentation during the meeting.
