Like many of our partners and locals we at Visit Syracuse are patiently awaiting the announcement of potential reopening plans for the regional businesses and economies. And like you we are saddened by the cancellations of some of our favorite summer festivals and events. But we are staying vigilant in working to provide alternative ideas for potential travelers when the time comes. Travelers bring millions in spending to the area economy and while we know we will not fully reach that expectation while keeping in place precautionary and safety measures for the continuing threat of COVID-19, we are looking to the future and finding ways to do our part to assist the area in re-opening.
From a sales perspective, YTD, twenty groups have cancelled for 2020, resulting in an overall economic impact loss of more than $10M. Not all news is bad, however, and as we stay positive in these challenging times, the Visit Syracuse sales team has been extremely active in shepherding clients thru the unknown. Four major multi-hotel convention groups that were forced to cancel for this year have committed and re-booked for 2021. Six additional groups have moved forward to sign contracts for 2021, along with two for 2022, one for 2023, and one for 2024, and as of the date of this writing, eight larger scale groups and events are still on schedule for 2020. Through it all, in recent weeks, two new leads for conferences in 2021 have been distributed to hotel partners.
While the Visit Syracuse Film Office was experiencing unparalleled activity as we entered 2020, production has shut down nationally and globally. Upwards to ten films, along with some episodic and commercial projects were slated for production into 2020 prior to the pandemic. These productions involve hotels, restaurants, bars, locations, catering, permitting, vehicle rentals, equipment rentals, etc. as well as upwards to 100 crew jobs and “extras” roles, with an estimated economic impact of more than $12M. Once again, thinking positively, outreach has continued on a daily basis to those production companies, studios and film makers that planned on filming in the area. None have cancelled, they are ALL still looking to shoot as much as possible in CNY as soon as it is safe to return to work.
As we await word on the reopening plans for our local partners and businesses, the Visit Syracuse Marketing Team continues to highlight and promote virtual tours, safe outdoor activities and ways to support local businesses, never losing site of the importance of the sense of community during this time. The COVID-19 Information and Resource Page links directly from VisitSyracuse.com.
Visit Syracuse social media platforms and online resources have been experiencing incredible engagement, with posts serving up a variety of informative, interactive and inspirational messages, and the reach of the newly released Visit Syracuse video, Together We Stand Syracuse Strong continues to expand. Please continue to tag us in your posts and share your stories with us on social. We look forward to the day where we can once again explore the warmth and hospitality of Syracuse, Onondaga County and the Finger Lakes region and invite others to discover what makes our area special.
