Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- Five-million people visit Syracuse every year, but a new study says the city can better market itself to improve tourism.
Syracuse has a lot to offer: Shopping, sports, beautiful parks and waterways. But the study says the city should “show off” a little more.
“Our visitors come into our airport right now, we need to make certain we are helping them get to our attractions, our hotels, our different parts of our community,” said David Holder with the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau.
There study suggests dozens of way to improve -- from big goals like rebranding the city, to small steps like sprucing up downtown by getting rid of empty storefronts.
“That will do a lot to drive visitor perception of safety, visitor perception of how easy it is to use this town, and drive more visitor business as they put these pieces together,” said Holder.
The city already welcomes millions every year, but the study points out how easy it is to get here since major highways run right through the city. So the more tourists know about Syracuse, and what to do here, the more likely they’ll visit and stay the night and ultimately spend money.
“I think we can always improve on our communication and visibility,” explained Syracuse Common Councilor Nader Maroun. “Looking at how we brand ourselves, how it's communicated and how people who are not only visiting here, but live in the suburbs…I’m all for it.”
We could be seeing some changes around Syracuse very soon.
The study cost nearly $100,000 and was paid for by Onondaga County.
