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TRAVEL & TOURISM IN ROCHESTER: FULL STEAM AHEAD By Maura Keller
R ochester is all about great travel adventures. Sure the snow flies during the winter and the mosquitoes wreak havoc in the summer, but there’s nothing like spending time enjoying the activities the region has to offer. In fact, Rochester’s travel and tourism industry is nothing to scoff at—especially when you consider that tourism is a vital component of the region’s economy. Of course, the recent pandemic has proven to be a challenging factor that
Photo Credit: Rochester International Airport (RST)
Rochester International Airport (RST) saw a 50% increase in passengers this past year compared to 2020.
the return of live entertainment to the Mayo Civic Center and the return of a strong Mayo Clinic patient volume. “All-in-all, the recovery has clearly begun, but it will still take time to return to pre-pandemic levels,” Ward says. “Going forward, it is vital that we all continue to pitch in to support local businesses. They represent what is uniquely Rochester and celebrate the diversity of our community through unique retail, art, dining and lodging experiences.” It’s In the Numbers Rochester International Airport (RST) saw 201,932 passengers come through the airport last year, an increase of 50% from 2020. While business travel hasn’t fully returned in the region, the lead story for passengers in 2021 was the leisure travel market. “Our region welcomed new non-stop seasonal air service to Phoenix and Ft. Myers from RST. This new leisure service helped to stimulate travel recovery for our region,” Reed says.
has impacted the Rochester community at large, but experts agree that we are on the road to recovery. According to John Reed, executive director at Rochester International Airport, the worldwide travel restrictions resulting from the pandemic brought continuous volatility to the travel industry. “However, leisure travel continues to recover or surpass pre-pandemic levels with pent up demand particularly for domestic travel. International demand is also ramping back up as travel restric- tions are lifted,” Reed says. “We are carefully watching what travel insiders are calling ‘bleisure’ which combines business and leisure travel and its potential to permanently change the way people travel. The primary drivers are remote workforces and the ability to work from anywhere policies that now allow flexibility for people to travel more frequently and for longer periods of time.” Joe Ward, president of Experience Rochester and the Mayo Civic Center is happy to report that the industry is on a road to recovery, thanks in part to
Advantage Magazine | 5
June 2022
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