Insights Driven By Data: Cayuga County Benefits From Embracing Its Authenticity

In a world often defined by visionless economic development that causes many destinations to become far too similar, Cayuga County is proving that emphasizing what makes a place different is the most powerful tourism strategy.

On June 17, I attended Tour Cayuga’s second annual Where Tourism Meets Community Summit at the Emerson Park Pavilion in Auburn. In addition to celebrating the county’s successes and providing updates on future initiatives, the program was a reminder of how tourism can bring people together through a shared goal: fostering the growth of a destination people want to travel to.

Investments that attract visitors often benefit residents as well. Parks, trails, historic preservation, cultural programming, and thriving downtown businesses improve quality of life for the people who call a place home. In that sense, tourism development is not simply about bringing more people into a destination, but also about creating communities where residents themselves want to live, work, and gather.

I am a lifelong resident of the Finger Lakes and I grew up just outside of Cayuga County. This has allowed me to witness firsthand the county’s efforts to lean into its distinct identity. Cayuga is not Seneca, Onondaga, or Oswego, nor should it try to be. Instead, Tour Cayuga and various organizations have worked hard to improve and highlight the culture and history that distinguishes the county from anywhere else in New York State.

For example, at the luncheon, members of the Internal Planning Team for the proposed Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway discussed their initiative that was recently signed into official legislation. The long-term vision is an internationally significant route connecting sites associated with Tubman's life, stretching from Maryland to Ontario, with Auburn serving as a significant point due to being her chosen home.

This is the exact kind of project that Cayuga County should be pursuing. Travelers want to visit a community that takes pride in what makes it unique — its historical prominence, its local artists, its natural attractions, and the small businesses that cannot be found elsewhere.

To paraphrase Bob Provost, President & CEO of the New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA), in his address at the event: People do not come to your destination to see what your corporate big-box store looks like. They want to see the local sights, hear the local sounds, and taste the local flavors.

Rather than trying to imitate other destinations, Cayuga County has doubled down on assets that are uniquely its own. In recent years, that has included promoting: 

• Historical legacies like Harriet Tubman, William Seward, and the Erie Canal
• Diverse, accessible, and sustainable outdoor recreation
• Wineries, breweries, cideries, and restaurants with distinct stories behind them
• Groups and people who celebrate local heritage and pride (such as through Tour Cayuga’s America 250 Tourism Impact Awards presented at the luncheon)

The impact of the county’s revitalized approach to tourism can be seen in the data. According to Tourism Economics reports commissioned by Empire State Development / I LOVE NEW YORK, from the pre-pandemic year of 2019 to 2024:

• Annual spending increased from $111.9 million to $168.6 million (+51%).
• Labor income increased from $53.4 million to $68.9 million (+29%).
• Local tax revenue increased from $7.2 million to $9.9 million (+38%).

Those figures represent more than visitor spending. They support jobs, generate tax revenue that benefits residents, and provide resources that help sustain local businesses and attractions. In other words, tourism's success is not separate from community prosperity; the two are intertwined.

The lessons from Cayuga County extend far beyond the Finger Lakes. Communities do not need to reinvent themselves to attract visitors. More often, success comes from recognizing and investing in the stories, landscapes, traditions, and people that already define them. By taking advantage of its own original story, Cayuga County is demonstrating that tourism development and community development are two sides of the same coin.