By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The tourism sector of New York’s economy shines in Central New York. Of the more than $25 million that visitors spend statewide (excluding Long Island and New York City), Central New York rakes in the most at more than $4.7 million, representing nearly 19% of tourism spending Upstate, according to Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company.
One of the reasons that tourism is big in CNY is that organizations in the area offer events that visitors can’t find elsewhere.
Daniel Breitweg, deputy director in the Department of Community Development, Tourism, and Planning for Oswego County, said that special events are a particular draw for tourism, such as Oswego County Fair and Oswego’s Harborfest.
“We support other community events large and small through promotion and other activities,” Breitweg said. “With Canadian tourism, we’ve spoken with our regional partners here and across the border. We will continue to promote Oswego County to our Canadian neighbors and are working with our local tourism partners to ensure consistent, welcoming message.”
Another example of a popular event was June’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the US Army, held at Fort Ontario in Oswego. Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary represents a newer attraction, as it opened last year.
Onondaga County has also plenty to draw visitors. Danny Liedka, president and CEO of Visit Syracuse, said that Taste of Syracuse attracts “tens of thousands of people to downtown. This is the unofficial kickoff to summer and is really well done by our friends at Galaxy Communications.”
He also noted that the Rhythm and Blues Festival, The Syracuse Classic Raceboat Regatta and The Syracuse International Jazz Festival are popular events.
“Our ethnic festival season kicks off as well, so we are really excited about the next few months,” Liedka added.
Events like these and the various events hotspots such as the New York State Fairgrounds, Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview, The Oncenter and Armory Square draw out-of-towners, not just locals.
“Our hotels and restaurants are doing very, very well with high occupancy,” Liedka said.
The hotel occupancy rate quantifies the number of rooms sold compared with the number available among places of lodging. The rate in Onondaga County is 63.2% as of May 2025. While that’s low compared with places like New Yor City (averaging 80% or more), it’s comparable to the national average.
Liedka expressed enthusiasm regarding the Syracuse Inner Harbor Aquarium project, recognizing it as yet another amenity to draw visitors to the city.
“This will be a drastically change the landscape between Destiny USA and Franklin Square, connecting and electrifying two neighborhoods,” Liedka said. “Walkability is important. It will be great to be able to walk to shopping, lodging, food, the inner harbor, etcetera.”
He’s also pleased about the evolution of the Loop the Lake Trail, the Creek Walk and the Empire State Trail, which “make our region much more accessible,” Liedka said.
This summer, the Route 81 project could potentially cause traffic snarls, so Liedka encourages anyone traveling through the area to consider other routes to get around town and both ease traffic and “see some of our incredible agritourism assets along nostalgic routes like 20 and 80 to name a few.”
As for concerns about things that would hamper the further development of CNY’s tourism industry, Liedka cited hotel inventory. Visitors need someplace to stay, whether they’re here for pleasure, business or a mix of both. But Liedka is pleased with the announcement of a new, full-service hotel downtown and on the Syracuse University campus.
“We have several projects in the suburbs as well, so we are on the right course,” he added. “We can never have too many restaurants or attractions that give people things to do.”
In addition to what Liedka calls “world-class” food, music and outdoor recreation opportunities, Onondaga County also has quite a few venues for sports and the arts, offering “something for everyone,” he said.
