Destination Rockland

The tourism and hospitality industries were hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic but despite these challenges, Rockland continues to welcome visitors to our unique downtowns, museums, art galleries and festivals.

In 2020, tourism in Rockland Country contributed $304 million in direct labor income. Were it not for tourism-generated sales and taxes, the average Rockland household would pay an additional $422 in yearly property taxes. These are the real dollars and cents behind our push to promote local events.

To attract more visitors, my Office and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism recently announced $205,000 in grants to 22 organizations to promote Rockland tourism. These grants are competitive and come with a list of performance expectations attached to every dollar awarded but ultimately the goal is to showcase our county and attract visitors.

We’ve been investing in Rockland’s tourism industry for the last five years and in that time have seen a positive return on that investment. Every dollar spent in our county by a visitor is money that helps us grow our economy, create jobs, and stabilize taxes and is exactly why we will continue doing all that we can do to keep it growing.

We know that the organizations receiving these funds will promote the County and meet our performance expectations. And we know that the visitors who come to Rockland and experience our theaters, art centers, riverfronts, and downtowns will keep coming back. We have put Rockland on the map and are investing these dollars to keep it there.