Archive: Business & Technology

A group of Cayuga Lake East Shore Merchants met at Rogue's Harbor Inn Monday to brainstorm on how to make the east side of the lake a vital tourist region.  Hosted by inn owner Eileen Stout, the meeting was facilitated by Sustainable Tompkins President Gay Nicholson.  Nicholson said she hopes the southern east shore merchants can duplicate the east Seneca Lake merchants' success at becoming a tourist destination.

"I have watched the tourism industry take off in other parts of the Finger Lakes - especially over on Seneca's east shore," Nicholson says.  "I've been puzzled by how slowly Lansing has capitalized on growing small businesses based on the recreational opportunities on our side of the lake.  I believe that we have a perfect opportunity to significantly grow our tourism base if we organize around a shared vision and carry out the necessary steps together."

Councilwoman Katrina Binkewicz was present to represent Salt Point.  Federal House B&B owner Donna Wilson said she and her husband are also hoping to start a winery in another four or five years.  Rogue's Harbor Inn and Brewery owner Eileen Stout, Scott Miller from Paddle N More in Myers Park, Nancy Tisch and Kit Kalfs of Aurora's Bet The Farm Winery, Tacie and Peter Saltenstall of King Ferry Winery, School's Out Charters owner Rick Eleck and People's Market and Engels's Alpaca Farm owner Carol Engels were representive of area merchants.  Lansing Councilwoman Ruth Hopkins came to represent Lansing Pathways Committee and to gather information for the Economic Development subcommittee that will work on the comprehensive plan.  Southern Tier Economic Development Council Agriculture Working Group's Leslie Danks Burke was also present to gather information on local efforts to increase tourism.

Nicholson began with a quick poll of the merchants to tally how much of their current business comes from tourists.  Innkeepers agreed that almost all of their business comes from tourists who live more than 20 miles away.  Winery owners said about 80% of their business comes from tourism, which was about the same for Eleck, who offers winery cruises from his Myers Park base to about nine area wineries.  Engels said her tourist business is only about 30%, but she hopes to increase that as the business grows in its new location on Atwater Road in Lansing.


It became clear that wineries lead tourism initiatives with other attractions providing additional activities for area visitors.  Eleck said his business has quintupled since he began with one boat in 2010.  He now has three boats bringing passengers to wine tastings at wineries around the lake.  He said the word is getting out that Cayuga Lake has some amazing wineries that are finally being recognized by the public and the press.

"There's no doubt that we need to be looking at how we can involve the wineries," he said.  "The wineries are steering this.  There wasn't enough, all by itself, with the natural beauty and the other things that we have in this region to bring in the tourists.  You couple that with the wineries and now you have a 'staycation' of two or three or four days.  It totally revolutionizes how we're doing things from a tourism standpoint."

Peter Saltenstall said Eleck's tours this summer helped increase business at King Ferry Winery on off-days during the week.

"It filled a spot for us mid-week where we're not seeing enough people coming," he said.  "This was a nice surprise.  And they would walk out with lots of wine."


Nicholson said the group's challenge is to identify barriers to vital tourism in this area and ways to overcome challenges.

"It's because of the big dairy farms," said Tacie Saltenstall.  "Most of the land on our side of the lake is generation to generation to generation, seed farms or dairy farms.  We can't rely on that.  What we need to do is rely on each other to pass the word and to get the word out that there are more things happening on our side of the lake.  Lansing is a hub.  Aurora is a hub.  And in between we've got our wineries along the way."

She said many of her customers ask for advice on where to eat, and said her business has made maps of a handful of smaller wineries along the lake that don't typically make it into mainstream tourism magazines or brochures.  She said a map is the key and said a more comprehensive map showing all businesses in the southern east shore area would surely increase business from tourism here.

"The biggest thing about the Cayuga Wine Trail is the brochure," she added.  "The brochure is what brings people."

"We should have them available at Myers Park for people who come," Binkewicz said.  "We should have them everywhere."

The group discussed tourism grant opportunities and contributions from businesses to produce and distribute area tourism materials.  The group discussed including historical attractions as well as natural attractions to attract tourism business.  Trailways such as the Lansing Center Pathway and Jonas Falls pathway, as well as Myers and Ludlowville Parks, Salt Point, and a possible state forest in northwest Lansing were cited as possible attractions to be added to a tourist map.  Emphasizing locally produced foods, beverages and other products such as pottery, locally produced fibers and jewelry was also targeted as part of the mix.

Nicholson and Binkewicz are both running for Lansing Town Board in Tuesday's election.  Both have expressed an interest in increasing tourism revenue in the Town in the face of dwindling tax revenues from the Cayuga power plant.

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