Measuring the Impact of Heritage Tourism
A study was released this month called The Economic Importance of the Great Estates Historic Sites & Parks. It was done by the consulting firm Urbanomics, Inc., working with the Taconic Division of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Twelve sites were included in the study: five--Mills Norrie State Park, Staatsburgh State Historic Site (Mills Mansion), Wilderstein, Montgomery Place, and Clermont--located within the Hudson River Historic District; five--Locust Grove, Walkway Over the Hudson, the Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Val-Kill, and the Vanderbilt Mansion--located south of the Hudson River Historic District; and two--Olana and the Thomas Cole House--located north of the historic district.
Comparing attendance at the sites over a ten-year period, the study shows a dramatic increase from 2009 to 2010--an increase that continues.
The study analyzes the impact on the local economy from four sources--employment and employee compensation, non-salary operational expenditures, capital expenditures, and non-local and overnight visitor spending--and offers this summary:
Collectively, the four measurable economic benefits of the twelve Great Estates and their support groups amounted to $65 million positive effect on the local economy. This, in turn, generated roughly a $2 million increase in local sales tax revenues.
You can review the entire study here.
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How interesting it would be if such a study were done to measure the contribution of Hudson and its tourism and businesses. Though such figures are very large and to say so is preaching to the choir of those who made it happen over the last 35 years, yet as we well knew over the 30 years we were there, some tone deaf singers in City government for many years and perhaps still even a few in the little madrigal group called the Common Council might still deny the power of that chorale.
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