ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y.–The Tourism and Film Office has released its second quarterly report, which shows that industries are growing as initiatives and campaigns bring more people to Orange County.
The goal for tourism this year is to increase international visitation to the area.
The department has started running large social media campaigns. This year, the goal was to get 20,000 followers on Instagram.
“We had hoped by the end of this year to reach 20,000, and about a month ago, we did surpass it. So now we have to set a new goal for ourselves,” tourist coordinator Rachel Carr said at an Education and Economic Development Committee meeting on June 16. “It is a really happy thing for us.”
According to the presentation given to the committee, money is being invested in social media marketing for Orange County. Carr said it’s important to the tourism department that when people visit their profiles, they see something they want to engage with, follow, and share with their friends. This way, the Orange County brand will spread online and reach a wider audience.
Another online promotion that was launched in April is the Stay Overnight Campaign. As the name suggests, the goal is to have visitors stay overnight in the area, generating more revenue for hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
The campaign successfully increased referrals from the Orange County tourism website to hotel websites by 307 percent in its first month, with a total of 277 referrals, according to the report. Referrals increased by 53 percent the following month to 425 referrals.
A TV blitz campaign launched by the department promoted Orange County tourism for five weeks on ABC and CBS channels, and the department invested in year-round streaming commercials. Carr anticipates that streaming commercials will do particularly well as viewers shift away from cable news.
A podcast campaign began in May and helped spread brand recognition for the county. The department worked with iHeartRadio to air family and couple-focused commercials to draw in people. The commercials reached about 606,000 people in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, according to the report.
Planning for the impact of the 2026 World Cup on the New York area has begun. Carr said hotels in the region are expected to be fully booked as visitors to New York City overflow into surrounding counties.
The film industry is also ramping up, as high-profile productions continue to be shot in Orange County. Large productions in progress include Fox series “Best Medicine,” Warner Bros’ “F.A.S.T.,” and Netflix’s “Four Seasons” season two, according to the report.
Orange County has become an attractive location for filming studios. There was a 40 percent tax credit for filming in the county until April, when legislation increased it to 50 percent, according to the report.
A representative for the Orange County Film Office told the committee about the effects of the tax incentives.
“My phone has been ringing off the hook, and it is no joke,“ she said. ”I am trying not to be overwhelmed right now.”
Efforts are being made to cut down the time it takes for tax incentive applications. It usually takes several years to qualify, but the Film Office wants to get it down to one year only.
The benefit of having filming in Orange County is that these productions spend a lot of money in the area. According to information shared at the committee meeting, one production company spent $5 million in the area on hiring actors, renting hotel rooms, and dining in restaurants.
