Archive: Around Town

Countless T-shirts and bumper stickers famously proclaim that 'Ithaca is Gorges'. Indeed, outdoor recreation was identified as the largest draw of leisure visitors to Tompkins County identified in the 2010 Visitor Profile Study. Considering this natural strength, the Tompkins County Tourism Program established a formal Outdoor Recreation Tourism Implementation Plan. On Monday, June 25th, the plan’s findings and recommendations were presented to the Planning, Development & Environmental Quality Committee of the Tompkins County Legislature.

This plan provides detailed guidance in five specific areas: water-based recreation, hiking & running, bicycling, kids in nature, and niche & adventure tourism. An Outdoor Recreation Tourism Task Force comprised of local experts began working on this plan in spring 2016. Their final draft was completed and presented to the Strategic Tourism Advisory Board in the spring of 2018 where it received a unanimous vote of approval. This document is intended to guide investment and decision-making for the Tompkins County Tourism Program and other entities that support outdoor recreation in our area.

The Outdoor Recreation Task Force intends to continue work to advance the goals and actions recommended in the plan. A stakeholder meeting focused on advancing the plan’s goals is being planned for October.

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