Long Island Tourism Spending Reached $8.4 Billion in 2025, Up 6.3% as Suffolk Led Growth

LONG ISLAND, NY – Visitors spent an estimated $8.4 billion across Nassau and Suffolk counties in 2025, up 6.3% from the previous year, according to a Tourism Economics report published in August 2026 and highlighted by Discover Long Island.

Suffolk County accounted for approximately 60% of the total and led the region’s growth. The findings also show how visitor dollars reach beyond accommodations: food and beverages represented the largest spending category, accounting for approximately 36% of the regional total.

Discover Long Island announced the findings August 21, describing a fourth consecutive year of record tourism performance. The underlying Long Island economic impact report is available through Empire State Development.

Suffolk Drove Most of the Increase

Regional visitor spending increased by approximately $498.8 million between 2024 and 2025. Of that gain, $358.9 million came from Suffolk and $139.9 million from Nassau County. Long Island Guide’s calculation from the published county figures puts Suffolk’s contribution at approximately 72% of the increase.

Both counties grew, but the faster increase in Suffolk widened its lead. That county-level comparison should not be read as a ranking of individual towns or destinations: the figures do not establish how much of the increase occurred in any particular community.

Food and Beverages Led Visitor Spending

Visitors spent approximately $3.01 billion on food and beverages, compared with $1.80 billion on lodging. Retail and service stations accounted for another $1.28 billion. These categories illustrate how travel supports businesses that also serve year-round residents.

The food and beverage category includes visitor purchases at restaurants, bars, grocery stores and other food providers. Lodging covers accommodation businesses such as hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, campgrounds and short-term rentals. The report lists spending associated with seasonal recreational second homes separately.

Nassau recorded approximately $1.53 billion in visitor food and beverage spending, slightly above Suffolk’s $1.48 billion, despite Suffolk’s larger overall visitor economy. Nassau also recorded more visitor recreation spending, at $345.7 million compared with Suffolk’s $301.8 million. Suffolk led lodging spending, at approximately $1.26 billion compared with Nassau’s $532.2 million.

The counties’ tourism economies therefore differ in composition as well as size. A visitor economy includes meals, purchases and activities throughout a trip, creating opportunities for shops, food providers and attractions alongside hotels. The report’s regional totals provide context for that activity without measuring the performance of any individual business.

Tourism Supported Jobs and Public Revenue

Discover Long Island reported 80,274 tourism-supported jobs and approximately $989 million in state and local tax revenue. The employment total increased from 78,418 in 2024, while the tax estimate rose from approximately $945 million.

The job and tax totals include direct activity plus modeled effects from suppliers and employee spending. They should not be described as jobs created during 2025 or taxes collected exclusively from hotel guests. The $8.4 billion headline figure measures direct visitor spending, a different measure from these broader economic effects.

The report estimates 57,867 jobs directly supported by tourism, rising to 80,274 when supplier and employee-spending effects are included. The broader total represented 6.1% of regional employment. Estimated tax revenue consisted of $543.2 million in local taxes and $445.5 million in state taxes.

Understanding the Estimates

Tourism Economics combines visitor surveys, industry information and government statistics with economic modeling. Its visitor definition includes people staying overnight or traveling more than 50 miles to a destination.

Spending growth also does not necessarily mean visitor numbers rose at the same rate. Higher prices and changes in what travelers purchase can affect dollar totals. The figures describe 2025 activity, rather than a measurement of the current 2026 travel season.

Key Facts & Details

Methodology: County spending figures, spending categories and economic impact estimates come from the report’s Long Island tables. Long Island Guide calculated each county’s dollar increase by subtracting 2024 spending from 2025 spending, then divided Suffolk’s increase by the regional increase to calculate its approximately 72% contribution. Category percentages were calculated from the published spending figures. Figures are rounded; economic impact estimates are not a measure of individual business profits.

The findings show a growing visitor economy with benefits spread across both counties and several types of businesses. Suffolk generated most of the additional spending, while Nassau’s food and recreation figures demonstrate its substantial role beyond overnight accommodations. Together, the results offer a more detailed picture of how travel contributes to Long Island’s economy than a single regional spending total can provide.