MASSENA — Speakers who attended Monday’s grand opening of the new waterway visitor center at Eisenhower Locks said the new center will be a major boost to tourism opportunities in Massena and the North Country.
Ross D. Levy, vice president and executive director of tourism for Empire State Development, said he was impressed with the area when he visited Massena in September 2022 for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new visitor center.
“At the time, I was so impressed by the community, this area, the beauty of this place, and now this new, state-of-the-art visitor center takes advantage of its incredible vantage point and welcomes guests from all over the world. “It provides an interactive and enlightening experience,” he said.
Levi said he’s happy to see new attractions like the Seaway Visitor Center open, “because it allows us to continue to send the message that there’s no other place in the world that can compare to a New York state vacation. ” he said.
“That’s especially true here in the Kuril Sea Route region,” he says. “The Visitor Center joins a host of fascinating attractions that await travelers, from island castles to waterfront camping, freshwater beaches, world-class fishing, Native American cultural tours and scenic cruises. Activities will continue to grow tourism as an important economic pillar for New York State’s economy.”
Levi said tourism is the state’s third largest industry, supporting more than 868 million jobs and generating $122 billion in economic impact.
“The bottom line is that every household in New York state could save $1,300 in taxes,” he says.
He said: “We will continue to work with local tourism partners in the region to ensure people know about this fantastic new visitor center and all that awaits guests here on the 1,000 Islands.” .
“Together, we will make it easy for visitors from across the state, the nation, and indeed the world to discover how easy it is to love New York State, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the entire 1,000 Islands region. ” he said.
Local partners include the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, whose executive director Benjamin R. Dixon said he is also excited about the opening of the new visitor center.
“The court team has been looking forward to this very much, so thank you for giving us the opportunity to share why,” he said.
Mr Dixon said one of the county council’s missions was to support tourism to improve the quality of life in the county.
“In this role, our dedicated tourism team works closely with partners such as the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Authority. We have definitely built a lasting partnership with Seaway,” he said. Told.
Dixon said the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is working with the North Country Chamber of Commerce, the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators, as well as I Love New York officials, who “have access to our information. “It’s critical to our ability to collect.” Spread the word about what we have here in St. Lawrence County. ”
“We work with these partners to introduce St. Lawrence County to visitors from all over New York state, other parts of the United States, Canada, and beyond. Working together, we have no doubt that this will happen.” “Great things will happen,” he said.
Dixon said tourism directly supports businesses in the hospitality and recreation sectors.
“It also means more commerce. It means more occupancy taxes and sales taxes for our county. It means more occupancy and sales taxes for our county. It means more commerce, more occupancy and sales taxes for our county. It means more commerce, more occupancy and sales taxes for our county. It means less vitality and livelihoods in our communities by developing as a tourist destination.” “This means that we can improve the quality of our products and thereby indirectly contribute to attracting and retaining entrepreneurs, workforce, businesses and residents,” he said.
He said the Eisenhower Locks represent the connection between St. Lawrence County, Massena, Cornwall, Ont., and the world.
“And this place puts us on the map. Commerce and trade flows through these locks, visitors and tourists and residents flow through the locks, and from the new visitor center we learn about our history, our place in the world. It increases our awareness of location and our quality of life,” Dixon said.
He said the visitor center and locks will be in addition to attractions already available on Barnhart Island, including the Nikandri Nature Center and the New York Power Authority’s Hawkins Point Visitor Center.
“Visitors here can explore the history and significance of the locks and waterways in this world-class visitor centre,” he said. “They can visit Nikandri Nature Center or Hawkins Point down the street, take their boat out to fish in the ocean, go to the beach, camp, or rent a cabin. ”
Dixon said the visitor center is “a crown jewel, and we bring thousands, tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of visitors to St. Lawrence County and show them what we are all about. I’m ready.”
Massena City Supervisor Susan J. Beller said the Seaway Visitor Center’s interactive exhibits are popular with all ages and “only enhance the growth, education and heritage of our local community.” .
“The St. Lawrence Seaway is a very important historical and economic investment for Massena, attracting thousands of visitors each year. Massena is also a great place for local residents to teach their children about the waterway. It’s the location,” she said. “Thank you for continuing to support us all with this wonderful new visitor center.”
