While Cayuga County offers the traveler lakes, scenery, wineries and history, tourism provides county residents some tax relief and job opportunities.

Without tourism in Cayuga County, each county taxpayer would pay annually an additional $418.78 in taxes, according to 2005 statistics from the state Department of Labor.

“Our challenge is once tourists are here, to get them to spend money,” said State Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette.

More than 50 percent of visitors to the county spend in excess of $200 during their stay, creating roughly $64.18 million revenue each year, according to economic impact data provided by the county Office of Tourism.

“Tourism obviously improves the quality of life in the county,” said Meg Vanek, the office's executive director. “People using our hotels and restaurants is all money coming into the county.”

Wineries, hotels, restaurants and museums provide 960 jobs in Cayuga County.

“You never really think about this but tourism brings a lot of jobs to the county,” Vanek said.

Some communities, such as the village of Fair Haven, depend largely on tourism.

“It's really the only hope for the economy up here; there's no manufacturing jobs,” said Bonnie Bridson, owner of Fly By Night Cookie Company in Fair Haven.

Bridson's company sells cookies and pies to area residents and depends heavily on the summer tourists who own cottages and visit the area to enjoy Lake Ontario.

For 20 years Bridson has owned the company, which includes a small museum with historic area artifacts.

“I think we are more apt to be a beautiful tourism place than Auburn. We have the lake and the bay,” Bridson said.

Staff writer Kristina Martino can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kristina.martino@lee.net