The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) released its 2025 year-end report, showcasing initiatives that promote the Adirondacks as a premier destination while simultaneously investing in community priorities and sustainable tourism. The report highlights strong economic performance, community-focused initiatives, research efforts, regional marketing campaigns, and a new strategic plan.As the region’s destination marketing and management organization (DMMO), ROOST’s program of work balances the local tourism economy with community well-being. To achieve this mission, ROOST’s program of work includes efforts in housing, infrastructure, and asset development while promoting the Adirondacks as a premier destination for visitors.According to Dan Kelleher, ROOST CEO, the organization’s role is comprehensive and includes many initiatives of which the public may not be aware. “ROOST’s work as a DMMO helps to ensure that tourism not only attracts visitors but, more importantly, strengthens the quality of life for our residents,” he said. “Our team is committed to balancing economic vitality with environmental stewardship and community well-being. Looking back over 2025, we are incredibly proud to reflect on a year of progress and collaboration.”The 2025 year-end report identified that ROOST's marketing efforts delivered a strong return, directly benefiting local communities and households.Visitor Spending: estimated total overnight visitor spending in Essex County reached more than $411 million, with an estimated 3,036,275 overnight visits.Tax Relief: tourism-generated tax revenue provided critical support to residents. Without state and local tax revenue generated by travel and tourism, each Essex County household would pay an additional $6,305 per year in taxes; each Hamilton County household would pay an additional $6,213 per year.Exceptional ROI: ROOST 2024 Annual Leisure Travel Study revealed an 84:1 return on investment. This result means that for every dollar ROOST spent on marketing, $84 in tourism revenue was generated by visitors within local communities.ROOST’s marketing activities highlight the Adirondacks as a prominent vacation destination, ultimately driving year-round visitation throughout the area. These activities included: Communications strategy, focused primarily on media relations, resulted in feature stories about the region in publications including: USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, AARP, National Geographic, Travel and Leisure, BBC, CBS Evening News, and many more.Over 3,500 social media posts, 2,600 YouTube uploads, 12.8 million emails delivered, 230 paid media placements, and 3.1 million unique website visits. Completion of a massive undertaking to rebuild the centralized database software powering seven regional websites and six partner sites, enhancing the digital experience for visitors, regional partners, and community members while optimizing for artificial intelligence integrations.Launch of the new LakePlacid.com website, which serves over 1.3 million unique users annually with over 3,750 total content pages.ROOST also finalized its 2026–2028 strategic plan along with its destination marketing and management plan, setting the stage for future sustainable growth, including the early 2026 debut of the new multi-region Adirondacks, USA website.ROOST also made significant advancements in destination management initiatives throughout 2025. Highlights of activity include the completion of the Essex County Residential Market Demand Analysis, supporting the Town of Westport and St. Armand in achieving Pro-Housing Community certifications, which positions the towns for priority access to future state resources.As a result of its work, ROOST was honored with two NYSTIA Tourism Excellence Awards at the annual meeting for "Excellence in Sustainable Tourism: Champions of Change" and "Creative Use of Data to Drive Success."The 2025 year-end report can be accessed here.

The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism has compiled and released the results of its fourth annual tourism impact survey, conducted in late 2025. The survey gathered feedback from residents and business owners in Essex and Hamilton counties, as well as the villages of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, regarding their perceptions of tourism's impact on the local economy and community.The survey was designed to capture business owners’ and residents’ perceptions and opinions on various topics related to tourism in the region. It aims to uncover sentiments regarding tourism-related activities and their impacts which contribute to the local economy and social environment, as well as identify topics that may be sources of concern. Surveys completed by business owners represent 26.6% of total surveys, compared with 73.4% completed by non-business owners. The vast majority of respondents have lived in the region for more than 11 years and 86% are employed full-time or retired.According to ROOST Chief Operating Officer Mary Jane Lawrence, destination management and marketing organizations (DMMOs) like ROOST work to balance economics of the tourism industry and community needs. “To be effective as a DMMO, it’s essential that local sentiment is clearly understood,” Lawrence said. “This survey gives residents and business owners a voice, helping us identify opportunities, address challenges, and shape strategies that support the local economy and quality of life for community members.”Key findings include:The vast majority of respondents (83%) believe that tourism positively impacts their community.More than 95% of respondents believe that tourism has a positive impact on businesses in their local community.The vast majority of respondents indicated that tourism has a positive impact on the region’s economy, the availability of local attractions, retail opportunities, and restaurant options.May and June saw the highest proportion of business owners indicating they could benefit from increased business (64% and 62%, respectively), suggesting opportunity for growth in the late spring/early summer period.The share of respondents who reported working more than one job (39%) increased by 10 percentage points year over year.Each year since 2023, survey respondents believe that the region would benefit most from additional marketing of arts, biking/cycling, and food/restaurants.Traffic and affordable housing remain the top cited negative impacts of tourism. Environmental degradation was cited more often than in past years as a negative consequence.Since 2022, a growing share of residents agree that increasing the number of permanent residents in their community is important to them.Results underscore the importance of recent community initiatives to balance community benefits with the positive impacts of the local tourism economy. These initiatives include the Community Tourism Enhancement Fund, which provides funding to each of the 18 towns in Essex County, to enhance the community for residents and visitors. Additionally, ROOST has collaborated with local officials to establish an event committee to review large-scale events and implement recommendations to mitigate impacts. ROOST also works with the region’s elected representatives to assist with initiatives such as workforce housing, grant applications for community improvement, and other projects designed to benefit Essex County communities. “The resident sentiment survey is an important tool for ROOST - it allows us to monitor and understand the impacts of tourism on local residents year over year,” stated ROOST President and CEO Dan Kelleher. “We appreciate that the vast majority of respondents affirm the overall benefits of tourism in our region, and we also recognize the important and ongoing work to assist our communities with housing, large-event mitigation, and other destination management initiatives.”Business owners and residents were invited to complete the survey via email, social media, news reports, and local notices. A total of 737 surveys from residents and business owners were completed in target regions. The results achieved a 5% margin of error at a 99% confidence level.Respondents were incentivized to take the survey with a chance to win a Visa Gift Card valued at $100.A link to survey results can be found at ROOSTAdk.com/research.

What: A series of remote worker meetups taking place throughout March, hosted by Adirondack Innovation Initiative (A2i) at Adirondack Community Foundation, coinciding with National Telecommuters Appreciation Week (March 1–7).The first event took place on March 3 in Lake Placid, with more than 30 people in attendance.When: Select dates and locations:Indian Lake – Welcome Center, March 10, 5:00 p.m.6132 NY-28, Indian LakeJay / Keene – Recovery Lounge, March 11, 5:00 p.m.12198 Old Rt 9N, JayChestertown – Town of Chester Public Library, March 12, 6:00 p.m.6307 Rt. 9, ChestertownSaranac Lake – Hotel Saranac, March 13, 4:30 p.m.100 Main Street, Saranac LakeWilmington – A2i Residence, March 14, 5:00 p.m.108 Indian Rock Road, WilmingtonTupper Lake – Raquette River Brewing, March 18, 5:30 p.m.11 Balasam Streeet, Tupper LakeWho: Adirondack Innovation Initiative (A2i) has been developed by Adirondack Community Foundation to connect people, ideas, and resources to allow more people to live in the Adirondacks full time with a good job by building and supporting a tech innovation ecosystem and network, driving regional economic resilience by fostering entrepreneurship, supporting local startups, and expanding tech-enabled remote and local workers to thrive here. This is one essential piece.Cost: Free. Light refreshments provided.Additional information: Visit a2ihub.org.

What: The 2026 Michelin Winter Tire Academy will offer a two-hour, hands-on winter driving experience at the Lake Placid Airport. Participants will learn how to navigate snowy and icy conditions on a custom-built course with expert instructors. Vehicles will be provided.When: Select dates in February: Feb. 7–8, 14–15, and Feb 21–22. Session times: 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m.Where: Lake Placid Airport, 27 Airport Lane, Lake PlacidWho: Michelin is a French tire company founded in 1889 and is known for producing high-performance tires for cars, bicycles, aircraft and heavy vehicles, as well as its iconic Michelin Man, Bibendum.Cost: $250 per vehicle (plus tax). Vehicles will be provided and can hold up to four (4) people.Registration: Call (866) 277-6038 or register by visiting the Lake Placid website: lakeplacid.com/events/michelin-winter-tire-academy0. Additional Information: Participants must be at least 12 years of age to attend the Michelin Winter Tire Academy as a passenger (non-driving) guest. Guests 18 years of age and up who present a valid driver’s license at event check-in may participate as a driver. Participants can e-mail info@MichelinWinterTireAcdemy.com for additional information.

Maple producers across the Adirondacks will open their sugarhouses to visitors this March as part of New York State’s Maple Weekends, a statewide celebration of maple sugaring season; one of the state’s most important agricultural traditions.Adirondack Maple Weekends for 2026 are scheduled for March 21–22 and March 28–29, featuring open houses at local sugarhouses, pancake breakfasts, and syrup tastings. Events are typically held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., though visitors should check individual locations for specific times. New York is the second-largest maple producer in the United States, producing more than 800,000 gallons of maple syrup annually and supporting more than 2,000 maple producers statewide. The state also has the largest number of tappable maple trees in the country, making maple production a significant contributor to New York’s agricultural economy. The Adirondack region plays an important role in that production, with family-run operations, research forests, and educational institutions producing maple syrup and maple products each year.Maple production depends on specific weather conditions common in late winter and early spring. When daytime temperatures rise above freezing and nighttime temperatures fall below freezing, pressure changes inside sugar maple trees cause sap to flow. Producers collect the sap and boil it down into maple syrup, a process that typically requires about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup.Several Adirondack maple producers and organizations are participating in Maple Weekends and offering opportunities for visitors to learn about the sugaring process:Cornell University Uihlein Maple Research Forest — Lake PlacidThe Cornell University Uihlein Maple Research Forest conducts research on forest management, maple production, and climate impacts on sugar maple ecosystems. Visitors can learn about the science behind maple production and the research taking place in the Adirondacks.Heaven Hill Farm — Lake PlacidHeaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid will be open for Maple Weekends with tours of its sugaring operation, demonstrations of wood‑fired evaporator use, and opportunities to learn how maple syrup is made on the farm. Visitors can sample maple coffee and treats, participate in tree‑tapping experiences, and learn about the farm’s bird‑friendly sugarbush.McComb’s Oak Hill Farm — SpeculatorLocated in the southern Adirondacks, Oak Hill Farm produces small-batch maple syrup and maple products. Visitors can tour the sugarhouse, observe the syrup-making process and enjoy refreshments during both Maple Weekends from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.Paul Smith’s College — Paul SmithsOpen 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Visitors can enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides from the parking area into the sugarbush, student-led tours of the sugarbush and sugarhouse, and a “sugar on snow” party suitable for both kids and adults. Tapping demonstrations will also be offered. The College sugarbush is located approximately 2.5 miles down White Pine Road, on the right-hand side just past the bridge at the Jones Pond outlet stream.Shamrock Maple — St. Regis Falls Visitors are invited to tour the “off-grid” and state-of-the-art maple farm located in the foothills of the Adirondacks. The farm offers ample parking and easy handicap access to the sugarhouse, which includes a handicap-accessible restroom. The farm will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with maple product tastings and sales available from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on both Maple Weekends. Guests can purchase 100% pure organic maple products. The farm looks forward to welcoming visitors this season.The Wild Center’s Mobile Sugar Shack — Tupper LakeVisitors are invited to tour the off-grid, state-of-the-art maple farm in the foothills of the Adirondacks. The farm offers ample parking and handicap access to the sugarhouse, which includes a wheelchair-accessible restroom. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with maple tastings and sales available from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on both Maple Weekends. Guests can purchase 100% pure organic maple products.In addition to visiting maple producers, Adirondack maple products can be found at farm stands, local retailers, and specialty shops throughout the region. Restaurants and bakeries throughout the Adirondacks also feature maple syrup in seasonal dishes and baked goods during the sugaring season.New York State Maple Weekends provide an opportunity for visitors to experience maple production firsthand while supporting local farms and businesses across the Adirondacks and throughout the state. A searchable list of Maple Weekend events is available at mapleweekend.nysmaple.com.