Tourism in Cattaraugus County is still going strong.
Being in a “drive-to destination” area has its perks because it is easy for people even beyond the county to get to.
“There’s always something to do,” said Debra Opferbeck, county tourism specialist for 10 years. “When people say there isn’t anything to do, they just don’t know our area.”
Even through the rough economic climate, Cattaraugus County has been doing well with tourism. With the Enchanted Mountains website and the new brochures, Opferbeck has created finding things to do in Catt County even easier.
With 15 theme brochures and a yearly county travel/activities guide, people can find events throughout all four seasons. The theme brochures include things such as snowmobiling, the Amish trail, antiques, fishing and boating, as well as many others.
The brochures are available locally at the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, Windgate Hotel, Holiday Valley and at some of the realtors offices.
Opferbeck even created a special brochure for Allegany State Park to draw more people to an outdoor landmark in our own backyard.
As part of the Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism, each separate branch works together to help cross promote and develop each section.
For instance, if a new business contacts the tourism department so they can be put on the map, so to speak, the tourism branch will contact economic development to see how they can help to new business take off.
Last Thursday, Opferbeck presented to the Cattaraugus County Planning Board about all the new and interesting things going on in her promotion of county tourism, especially of that involving the Amish trail. She also updated the board on the “Route 16 Corridor,” which is a project developed by a University at Buffalo professor and his grad students to promote the areas
Route 16 passes through. Just this past September they orchestrated a 43-mile garage sale, which was well attended, Opferbeck said.
Opferbeck also informed the board of how vital tourism and its promotion is to the county. According to the “I Love NY” program, 14 percent of employment in Cattaraugus County is in tourism.
With this positive number and all the promotion and marketing of the area by Opferbeck, the county has faired quite well during this economic downturn.
“(The economy) has benefited us because the people in the surrounding areas are no longer driving far away; they’re staying closer to home,” Opferbeck said. “The marketing that we’re doing is reaching the area even in Erie county/ Buffalo area. They are now discovering what’s only an hour away from them.”
More people are choosing to spend their vacations at/ near home and not travelling far away. Usually people take the traditional two-week vacations and travel somewhere – escape home life, but now more and more people are taking long weekends and finding fun and interesting things to do around their hometowns.
“In place of those two weeks, people may take six long-weekend vacations in a year,” Opferbeck said
Cattaraugus County tourism tries to promote every part of the region through different attractions, destinations, dining, accommodations, events, festivals and many more ways too.
“I grew up here, but it’s amazing how much you don’t know is in your own back yard,” Opferbeck said.
One of the biggest ways Opferbeck draws people into the county is by using a “hook and lure” scheme.
“We use the bigger names in our county to catch the attention of people,” Opferbeck said. “Once we have their attention, then we want them to know that we also have the other things available in our county … using our hook to lure people in and then once they’ve been to the hook, say Holiday Valley, then we want them to go out around to Olean, Randolph, Gowanda and see what else we have in our county.”
To find out more about what is going on throughout Cattaraugus County, check out www.enchantedmountains.com, or visit any of the locations listed above.
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