Visitors don’t experience our region one county at a time.

Visitors don’t experience our region one county at a time.
That’s especially evident every summer during the Saratoga racing meet.
Saratoga Race Course is one of the Capital Region’s great economic engines, drawing visitors from across the country and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in regional economic activity. And while the racing happens in Saratoga County, the economic benefits don’t stop at the county line.
Visitors may spend a day at the track, stay in Lake George, have dinner in downtown Glens Falls, explore the Adirondacks, shop in Saratoga Springs and experience our region as one destination.
This year’s Belmont Stakes Festival provided a particularly good example. Based on tourism spending, lodging capacity and regional visitor patterns, we estimate the Belmont alone likely generated $3 million to $7 million in economic activity in Warren County through lodging, restaurants, retail and other visitor spending.
The traditional Saratoga meet creates that same regional interaction over an entire summer.
That’s why the relationship between Warren and Saratoga counties is so complementary. Saratoga’s racing, arts and entertainment economy brings enormous numbers of visitors to the region. Lake George, Glens Falls and the Adirondacks give those visitors even more reasons to stay longer, explore farther and spend more.
Strong destinations don’t weaken their neighbors. They strengthen them.
And a special thank you to NYRA for the opportunity to host the Belmont at Saratoga over the past three years. It was an extraordinary opportunity for Saratoga, but its impact reached much farther. Businesses, workers and communities throughout our region benefited.
Regional success isn’t divided by county lines. It’s multiplied by them.
For the report “Saratoga County Chamber report reveals record economic gains from Belmont Stakes Source”: WNYT NewsChannel 13 Albany, NY https://lnkd.in/gDJy5cqs.