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Despite floods, tourism up in Lake Ontario communities

Last summer, businesses and property owners across Lake Ontario did not expect to have a booming tourism season.

After months of flooding, many people were working to repair their property well in to the summer.

In spite of this, a new report shows tourism increased across the state last year, including those lakeside regions. Monroe and Ontario County each saw about a three percent increase in traveler spending.

Traveler spending is a broad category that includes everything from lodging to food service to retail to recreation.

Even the Thousand Island Region, which experienced extreme flooding, saw an increase of over four percent in traveler spending.

Authors of the study acknowledge some of that growth comes from high gas prices.

Tourism in New York also generated nearly $18 billion in taxes.

Copyright 2018 WXXI News

Veronica Volk is the Great Lakes Reporter/Producer for WXXI News, exploring environmental and economic issues, water, and wildlife throughout the region for radio, television, and the web.
Veronica Volk
Veronica Volk is a Reporter/Producer for WXXI News. She comes from WFUV Public Radio, where she began her broadcasting career as a reporter covering the Bronx, and the greater New York City area. She later became the Senior Producer of WFUV’s weekly public affairs show, Cityscape. Originally from Ocean County, New Jersey, Veronica got her B.A. in Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University, concentrating on Media, Culture, and Society.