County Executive Day Announces $212,000 in Tourism Grants

New City, NY, – County Executive Ed Day and Director of Economic Development and Tourism Jeremy Schulman announced $212,000 in grants to 32 organizations that promote tourism in Rockland. Representatives of many organizations attended the announcement at the RCC Hospitality & Culinary Arts Center in Nyack.

 

“Today we take another step towards continuing to improve and enrich life in our community,” said County Executive Day. “We want people to come here, spend the day in downtown Nyack or Suffern, go to one of our great festivals, go to a theater performance. While they are here, they can eat at our restaurants, shop in our stores and find other ways to spend money. Money that fuels our economy and stabilizes taxes for our residents.”

 

The average household in Rockland would have to pay an additional $568 in yearly property taxes to maintain current services if not for tourism generated sales and local taxes.

 

“It is an honor to host the announcements of this year’s Rockland County Tourism grant recipients in Hudson Market on Main, a unique collaboration with our Culinary Arts Center in Nyack. We are fortunate to partner with Flik Industries in the Hudson Market on Main which showcases not only local culinary delicacies but also shows off the skills of our Culinary Arts students while helping to promote Nyack, a unique and important cultural hub and tourism destination in our county,” said RCC President Dr. Michael Baston.

 

The RCC Hospitality & Culinary Arts Center in Nyack celebrated the Grand Opening of Hudson Market on Main in November of 2019. In addition, the Culinary Arts Center features a state-of-the-industry teaching kitchen and fast-track Culinary Arts certificate programs to prepare students for future careers. The Center will receive $4,500 in 2020 for Program Marketing.

 

The tourism funds announced come from a combination of county money and from the statewide I Love New York program. These are competitive grants; a set of performance expectations are attached to every dollar given to these nonprofits.

 

“We have every confidence that the organizations receiving this funding will use it to bring visitors here to see all that Rockland has to offer. And I know that our music, theater, art, riverfronts and downtowns will keep them coming back. The region’s leisure and hospitality sector grew over 5% last year – the strongest year-over-year December growth since 2001, evidence of the strength of Rockland and the Hudson Valley’s tourism industry. This is the way forward. We have created an environment where businesses thrive, and jobs are created. Congratulations to the organizations who have won these awards, we know you will do us proud with your efforts and I look forward to attending so many of these wonderful events,”concluded County Executive Day.