2021 was a year of recovery for the visitor economy in Dutchess County with more than half a billion dollars spent by travelers on lodging, food and beverages, recreation, transportation, retail and other travel-related expenses. Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, released its annual report on the economic impact of visitors in New York, which highlighted strong gains after visitor spending, jobs and wages suffered as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report showed visitors spent $632 million in Dutchess County in 2021, an increase of $214.2 million from 2020. This equates to 93.7% of the record total reached in 2019, which capped 10 consecutive years of growth.

Travelers spent $3.8 billion in the Hudson Valley region in 2021. Tourism was the industry hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Dutchess County’s recovery to pre-pandemic levels exceeded that of the Hudson Valley region and New York State, which were at 86% and 71%, respectively, of their 2019 levels. Tourism is the third largest industry in New York State and is a major driving force in Dutchess County’s economy. Boosted by travelers taking road trips rather than domestic or international flights, Dutchess County was in a perfect location to welcome visitors from New York City and the surrounding tri-state area, as well as other drivable destinations like Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. The U.S. did not reopen borders to fully vaccinated international travelers until November 8, 2021.

Food and beverage sales continued to be the top area of visitor spending in 2021, bringing $185.5 million to county businesses. Many restaurants and agri-tourism businesses pivoted during the pandemic to offer take-out service and unique outdoor experiences that attracted visitors. In another strong indicator of recovery, Dutchess County collected a record-breaking $3,588,158 in hotel occupancy taxes in 2021, 7.9% more than in 2019.

Visitors contributed $50.4 million in local taxes and $36.9 million in state taxes for a total of $87.3 million. According to the report, if all that visitor spending went away, each Dutchess County household would need to pay an additional $793 to replace state and local taxes contributed by visitors to our economy. 

From hotel and restaurant staff to event planners and museum educators, tourism supported 9,011 jobs in Dutchess in 2021, nearly 1,000 more than in 2020. Making up 8.6% of all labor income in the county, tourism-related jobs brought in $359.7 million in wages, money which is then reinvested back into the community in the form of groceries, rent and property taxes, clothing, gas and other daily expenses.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “The quick rebound of these key economic impact numbers proves what we’ve always known – that Dutchess County is a strong and resilient destination full of opportunities to rejuvenate spirits and make memories,” He added, “We are grateful for the innovative work Dutchess Tourism does to keep our county top-of-mind for travelers and to drive visitation. Our investment in tourism promotion continues to benefit our residents, bringing outside dollars into our communities which sustain the many small businesses and attractions we love, and enhancing our quality of life.”

Dutchess Tourism, Inc. (DTI), an independent 501c6 non-profit organization, is the officially designated destination marketing organization for Dutchess County. It is accredited by Destinations International and is responsible for promoting the area to a global audience.

“It’s been a long road through this pandemic but by working together – our team, county government, community and tourism partners – we found creative ways to provide wonderful experiences for travelers and this significant growth in visitor spending, is the result,” noted DTI President & CEO Melaine Rottkamp. “I’m so proud of the award-winning work done by Dutchess Tourism’s dedicated professional staff, our creative team and our terrific board of directors, led by Millbrook Vineyards and Winery’s David Bova, to continue to attract more and more visitors from outside our region to our beautiful county.”

In addition to supporting the county’s tourism-related businesses through education and training, promotional assistance and advocacy, Dutchess Tourism works to raise awareness of Dutchess County and its tourism assets using a multi-pronged, research-based and targeted marketing strategy through digital, print, television and radio advertising, social media and national media coverage. To assist travelers in their planning, DTI publishes and distributes 75,000 free copies of the Discover Dutchess Destination Guide, a trip-planning tool at DutchessTourism.com and offers a mobile passport program, the Dutchess Tourism Trail Finder, with curated, can’t-miss sights and experiences throughout the county.

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About Dutchess Tourism
Dutchess Tourism, Inc., the officially designated destination marketing organization for Dutchess County, is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International. As a 501c6 non-profit organization, it works to bring tourism dollars to area businesses and the community by marketing and promoting the assets of Dutchess County to the nation and the world. The office is located at 3 Neptune Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie with 16 Tourist Information Centers located around Dutchess County. The website is DutchessTourism.com and they can be reached at 845-463-4000. Dutchess Tourism, Inc. is partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess. 

About Tourism Economics
Tourism Economics, headquartered in Philadelphia, is an Oxford Economics company dedicated to providing valuable, robust and relevant analyses of the tourism sector that reflect the dynamics of local and global economies. By combining quantitative methods with industry knowledge, Tourism Economics designs custom market strategies, project feasibility analysis, tourism forecasting models, tourism policy analysis, and economic impact studies. The Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) input-output model was used for this report for New York State; it is used worldwide by governments, universities and public and private sector organizations. The model follows the flow of sales through the economy to the generation of GDP, employment, wages and taxes. Tourismeconomics.com. 

About Oxford Economics
Oxford Economics is one of the world’s foremost independent global advisory firms, providing reports, forecasts and analytical tools on 200 countries, 100 industrial sectors and more than 3,000 cities. Founded in 1981 as a joint venture with Oxford University’s business college, Oxford Economics is founded on a reputation for high-quality, quantitative analysis and evidence-based advice. For this, it draws on its own staff of 150 highly experienced professional economists; a dedicated data analysis team; global modeling tools; close links with Oxford University; and a range of partner institutions in Europe, the U.S. and in the United Nations Project Link.