Long Island Tourism & Hospitality Statistics
Tourism is one of Long Island’s most important economic drivers. With acclaimed beaches, historic villages, culinary destinations, vibrant downtowns, and easy access to New York City, Long Island draws millions of leisure, business, and event visitors each year – and their impact is substantial.
Visitor spending supports lodging, dining, entertainment, shopping, recreation, and transportation across the region. That activity helps sustain local jobs, generates tax revenue, and benefits thousands of businesses – from hotels and marinas to wineries, shops, charter operators, and family-friendly attractions. As travel patterns shift from year to year, Long Island’s visitor economy remains broad, resilient, and regionally significant.
The figures below provide a recent snapshot of visitor spending, employment, tax revenue, and hotel performance across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Because tourism studies, hotel reports, and tax data are updated on different schedules, some totals – especially preliminary year-ahead estimates -may be refined as newer reporting is released.
Key Facts & Details: Long Island Tourism & Hospitality Snapshot
| Metric | Long Island (Total) | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor spending | $7.5 billion | $3.18B (43%) | $4.28B (57%) | 2023 | Published regional total; about 12.7% above 2022 |
| Visitor spending growth | +3.8% | — | — | 2024 | Preliminary estimate points to roughly $7.9B in 2024 |
| Tourism-supported jobs | 76,227 jobs | — | — | 2023 | Regional estimate from tourism impact reporting |
| Tourism-related tax revenue (state + local) | $900 million | ~$380M | ~$519M | 2023 | Includes state and local taxes linked to visitor activity |
| Share of NY State visitor spending | ~10% | — | — | 2023–24 | Approximate share based on recent statewide reporting |
| Top spending categories | Food & beverage (36%), Lodging (20%), Retail, recreation, transportation | — | — | 2023 | Food and beverage typically leads regional visitor outlays |
| Hotel occupancy | 71.7% LI-wide | 78.2% | 67.3% | 2023–24 | Recent countywide averages; performance varies by submarket and season |
| Average Daily Rate (ADR) | — | ~$225 on average | $204.80 (2023) $227.80 (Sept 2024) | 2023–24 | Representative recent figures; pricing fluctuates seasonally |
| RevPAR (Revenue per available room) | — | — | $137.84 (2023) | 2023 | Recent Suffolk benchmark from hotel-market reporting |
| Hotel occupancy tax | — | — | Increased from 3% → 5.5% | 2023 | Check current Suffolk County lodging-tax rules before citing |
Data note: These figures reflect a mix of published tourism impact studies, county reporting, and hotel-market data available at the time of writing. For the latest annual releases, confirm information with official county sources and Discover Long Island, the region’s official destination marketing and tourism organization.
Long Island’s Visitor Economy at a Glance
- Recent reporting indicates visitor spending reached record or near-record levels in 2023, with preliminary 2024 estimates pointing higher.
- Visitor outlays on lodging, dining, recreation, and retail help support more than 76,000 local jobs across the region.
- Suffolk County slightly leads the region in total visitor spending, helped by its scale and wide range of tourism assets, including Montauk, the Hamptons, North Fork wine country, beaches, parks, and waterfront communities.
- Nassau County often posts stronger hotel occupancy, supported by business travel, sports events, conferences, and convenient access to regional airports and New York City.
- Recent hotel metrics across parts of the region have generally compared favorably with national benchmarks, though performance varies by season, location, and traveler mix.
- Beach season remains a major driver, but year-round travel tied to weddings, meetings, youth sports, festivals, and culinary tourism also plays an important role.
Why Tourism Matters to Long Island
Tourism is vital not only for the hospitality industry, but also for local residents and community services. In recent reporting, visitor spending helped generate nearly $900 million in state and local taxes – helping support public services, infrastructure, parks, and open-space stewardship while easing pressure on local taxpayers.
When visitors come to Long Island for a beach weekend, a winery tour, a sports tournament, a wedding, or a downtown festival, their spending circulates through local communities and supports workers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses across the Island.
Looking Ahead
Long Island’s tourism sector continues to show staying power, with demand shaped by leisure travel, events, seasonal getaways, and evolving visitor expectations. Continued investment in downtown revitalization, transportation access, coastal stewardship, culinary experiences, hospitality workforce development, and destination marketing can help keep the region competitive in the broader New York and Northeast travel markets.
By tracking the data behind tourism and hospitality, Long Island stakeholders – from policymakers to business owners – can plan more effectively and better understand the economic and cultural benefits travel brings to the region.
Want to Explore More Long Island Tourism Information?
Discover Long Island is the official regional destination marketing organization serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties. For current travel inspiration, meetings information, and tourism-industry updates, visit:
Website: DiscoverLongIsland.com
