With CDC’S latest advisory, travel becomes available to more people
Lake Placid, Adirondacks have seen a surge in tourists who are working remotely
Travel and tourism officials in the Capital Region welcomed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest advisory Friday. In a midday announcement, the CDC said fully vaccinated people could travel safely, although they should still wear face masks, practice social distancing, and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated places.
"It's another step forward for the recovery of the airline industry," said Doug Myers, spokesman for the Albany International Airport. "While we have yet to encourage folks to fly, this is an
encouraging sign from the CDC for air travel and the airline industry."
"People have already been traveling," said Jim Mckenna, CEO of the Lake Placid-based Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, or ROOST. "But that's a really good indication" of a recovery in tourism as more people are vaccinated.
By 11 a.m. Friday, 19.2 percent of New Yorkers, or nearly one in five, had received full dosages of COVID -19 vaccines, according to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, although it wasn't clear how many had also completed the twoweek wait following vaccinations that provides full protection from the coronavirus.
Lake Placid and the Adirondacks have seen a surge in tourists, given the ease of social distancing in a sparsely populated section of the state. Mckenna said many of those weren't skiers, but instead were working remotely.
Many hotels and inns have been promoting themselves as remote workplaces, touting their scenic surroundings and comfortable accommodations.
January and February set new records for tourism, Mckenna said, topping even the records established for those months just a year ago, before the pandemic.
In Lake George, tourism officials also welcomed the latest CDC advisory.
"We're really geared up for a big Spring Break season," said Gina Mintzer, who heads the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Myers also said spring breaks were apparently adding to traffic at the Albany airport. On Thursday, more than 3,000 travelers boarded planes at Albany, including many youngsters, said Myers. That's a relatively large number. Just under a year ago, as the pandemic's impact was growing, the airport saw the fewest passengers ever. Just 47 boarded planes on April 20, 2020.
Tara Ricard of AAA Hudson Valley said an islands tourism event just before St. Patrick's Day drew a crowd and more than $30,000 in bookings that stretched into 2022.
Popular destinations have included Mexico, the Caribbean and places in the United States, she added, crediting the lifting of quarantine requirements post-travel as a major factor in encouraging more tourism.
Still, barriers remain. Europe and Asia are largely off limits, as is Canada, as borders remain closed.