Albany, NY – Following the success of similar programs in the state and abroad, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo announced Monday that she introduced a new bill to promote tourism among seniors. The creation of a New York Senior Tourism Program will allow the state to take advantage of its growing tourism industry and increased senior population.

“New York has been very successful in promoting tourism,” said Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. “It seemed like the obvious next step in our tourism work to create a unique program focused on seniors. Tourism not only supports local jobs and businesses, but this new program will provide opportunities to age in style in a way that can only be found in the Empire State.”

The New York Senior Tourism Program will be similar to other targeted tourism initiatives in the state, such as the Path Through History, I Love NY LGBT program, and the recent Equal Rights Destination Guide. In 2009, the Spanish government created the successful "Europe Senior Tourism" program. It was designed to increase tourism to the country of Spain during the off season and has drawn more than 150,000 people to the country since its creation.

New York State has experienced record tourism numbers in recent years. 2016 had a record 239 million visitors to the state, which generated $104.8 billion in economic activity. Tourism is the state's fourth largest industry, employing 914,000 New Yorkers. New York ranks third in the nation for the number of seniors with over 3.7 million individuals over the age of 60. Trends indicate that the state's population will continue to age, following nationwide trends.