New York launches $40 million campaign to lure summer tourists to LI, Upstate

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — With coronavirus positivity rates down and vaccinations up, New York is trying to invite tourists back this summer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

Speaking from the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, Cuomo said as of Monday, the positivity rate was 0.41. Vaccination rates were 69.9 — once that number reaches 70 percent, nearly all pandemic restrictions will be lifted statewide, Cuomo said.

Based on progress, the New York State Fair will be open at 100 percent capacity, instead of the 50 percent capacity that was recently announced, Cuomo said.

“It's time to return to life, not to survive,” Cuomo said.

With New York's numbers among the best nationally, it's safe for visitors to travel to the state, Cuomo said — and tourists are encouraged to visit Long Island and the state's destinations, including Coopers Beach in Southampton.

“We have an opportunity because we have the lowest positivity rate in the country. We literally go between the lowest, the second and the lowest,” Cuomo said. “Want to travel this summer? Then travel safe and go to a place and a state that you know is safe from COVID and that's New York State.”

New York is launching a $40 million international “I Love NY” campaign, Cuomo said. “It's probably the fastest way to jumpstart and revitalize our economy by getting this tourism industry up and running.”

Cuomo showed two tourism ads that will be shown, which will not only include locations up north, but also Coopers Beach in Southampton.

And that's good news for the region, said Kristen Reynolds, president and CEO at Discover Long Island in an interview with Patch.

“The Discover Long Island team is incredibly excited for a long-awaited Long Island summer classic and is committed to raising awareness of Long Island as a premier vacation destination,” he said.

In recent months, Discover Long Island has launched several initiatives to generate tourism, including a new podcast, Long Island Tea, and the YouTube series, Long Island TV, he said.

“At a time when digital and visual content is a leading tool in destination marketing, Discover Long Island's new series showcases the best of the destination through the creation of engaging, visually stimulating, timely and relevant content,” said Reynolds.

Discover Long Island just experimented with live streaming by partnering with Urbanist, Ariel Viera, on a tour of Port Jefferson that received 5.6K views and is something that will be incorporated into our content strategy “to highlight our partners in the centers of the island, ” he said. “Our first live streaming trial was an incredible success and we look forward to showcasing the story and uniqueness each center has to offer. In addition to creating this incredible content, we're amplifying it with paid digital media to reach a wider audience public travel planners'.

Dr. Michelle C. Reed, Discover Long Island's official health and wellness ambassador, has also worked to provide safe travel tips to visitors and share her recommendations on how to enjoy Long Island's tourist attractions and outdoor experiences in the media of social network.

“Long Islanders have done their part to stop the spread of Covid-19. We've stayed local, worn our masks, supported local businesses and many of us have been vaccinated. It's time to open our doors to visitors who are eager to Visit this amazing destination we can call home,” Discover Long Island said in a release. “Tourism is a $6.3 billion industry that supports more than 100,000 local jobs, and the recovery of this industry is of paramount importance to our small businesses and maintaining our quality of life.”

As for Coopers Beach, Cuomo's mention was another nod to one of the most idyllic beaches in the Hamptons. In May, Coopers Beach was ranked #2 in the nation, and was named one of America's Top 10 Beaches for 2021 by Dr. Beach.

And it's not the first time the beach has won top honors: Coopers Beach was also named one of America's Top 10 Beaches of 2019 by coastal expert Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University.

Dr. Beach creates the list each year using 50 criteria, which include water quality, sand quality, safety and management.

In previous years, Dr Beach said Coopers Beach, which was ranked #4 on his 2019 list, “is located on the south shore of Long Island, New York, sheltered from the cold Labrador currents in the beautiful village of Southampton. “

This year, Dr. Beach wrote that as the first “Gold Coast” in the country, “Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of granular white quartz sand. The beach is backed by large dunes covered with American beach grass, interspersed with Grand and luxurious mansions exist in Coopers beach and you can also find a snack bar serving lunch and drinks.''

But Southampton Superintendent Jay Snyderman said efforts may be aimed at later in the year. “By all accounts, this is going to be a busy tourist season,” he said. “If we need a promotion, it might be in the fall.”