Long Island tourism spending hits $7.5B, a record high in 2023 as state saw most visitors

Tourism spending on Long Island hit a record high $7.5 billion last year as New York State saw its highest number of visitors, according to new state data.

Spending on Long Island accounted for 8% of the total $88 billion spent by tourists in New York in 2023, according to a report the state released Wednesday. Tourism Economics, a global travel and tourism forecasting firm based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, created the report.

The Island’s share of total tourism spending statewide was second to New York City, which generated $54 billion in direct visitor spending, accounting for 61% of tourist dollars spent last year.

"This is really an eclipse of what we thought we’d achieve," said Kristen Reynolds, president and chief executive of Discover Long Island, the region’s largest tourism promotion agency.

Spending on the Island last year was up 12.7% from 2022.

"We did not expect a double-digit increase. It’s almost unfathomable for us," Reynolds said. "That kind of growth, it speaks volumes to our data-driven approach. To target not just any visitor but the right visitor."

Reynolds said her agency as well as the state’s "I Love NY" marketing campaign increasingly have focused digital advertising efforts to areas like Phoenix domestically, and the U.K., Germany, Australia and New Zealand internationally.

Recently, Nassau County designated RRDA LI, a Glen Head-based advertising agency, as the county's official tourism promotion agency.

"While the day-tripper is certainly welcome, it’s the overnight visitor who is really the one that’s going to impact our local businesses because they spend the most," Reynolds said.

Tourist spending on the Island has been steadily increasing since the start of the pandemic, when spending fell to $4 billion. Money spent last year by visitors surpassed 2019, when tourists spent $6.3 billion locally.

By county, Suffolk accounted for more than half — $4.3 billion — in direct tourist spending, while Nassau saw $3.2 billion in visitor dollars, according to the report. Visitor spending on the Island accounted for an estimated $900 million in local and state taxes.

The state, too, saw record-breaking numbers in terms of tourism in 2023.

New York saw a record 306.3 million visitors last year, which generated a total economic impact of $137 billion. That total represents an 11% jump over 2022 and marks the third year in a row the state saw double-digit growth.

"New York State is synonymous with tourism; it's part of the fabric, history and economy of our incredibly diverse state," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "As we approach the fall foliage and travel season, we are welcoming more visitors than ever, and their presence is supporting businesses and communities in every corner of the state."

Last year, an estimated 41.8 million tourists visited Long Island, according to a separate report created by Longwoods International, a market research firm based in Columbus, Ohio. Of those visitors, 23.1 million — 55% — were day-trippers, and 18.7 million were overnight visitors.

Reynolds said the new numbers on visitors to Long Island replaced a long-standing estimate of 10 million visitors that tourism trackers in the region had been using for about 17 years.

"Since 2008, we’ve been saying over 10 million visitors," Reynolds said. "It’s really incredible to see how much Long Island has grown as a destination."

Dorothy Roberts, president of the Long Island Hospitality Association, said she wasn’t surprised that the region had another record-breaking year given the demand she’d seen at hotels and lodgings.

"Our numbers last year were really good," Roberts said. "We’ve had very good demand on Long Island. If you look at most hotels, their average daily rate has increased year over year."

Roberts said even as businesses had increased prices to cover higher operating expenses, visitors had shown a willingness to pay more.

"We’ve been able to increase rates to offset the increased expenses we’ve had," Roberts said. "Since COVID, people are out traveling again and are spending money on experiences."

Kelly Downer, 60, of Washington, D.C., said for years she’d made it a priority to visit Long Island for a week in the summer.

Downer, a business consultant who visited again in July, said she first started coming to Long Island in her 20s after meeting a college friend who was from Southampton.

"As I became a professional and started traveling, I would still plan to come back to Long Island," she said. "I love what’s happening with the wineries right now, and Southampton’s museums and art scene are really cool."

Downer, a kayaking enthusiast, said between the beaches, quaint East End neighborhoods and customer service at bars and restaurants, it’s a must for her to make her annual pilgrimage to the Island.

"Last year when I was up, I did a driving tour from the Hampton Bays area up to Greenport and then to Shelter Island just to really see different places," she said. "The little towns and hamlets are so different from where I live."