As the rate of COVID-19 continues to fall in much of upstate New York, new data suggests that people in central New York are on the move.
Officials at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport say they have seen a significant increase in traffic lately. The number of passengers more than doubled from 8,600 in April to 25,000 in May and by the end of last month, total boardings at Hancock were 27% above what airport officials had predicted, prompting them to reintroduce some flights to Atlanta and Denver.
Road trips are also on the rise as the summer season officially gets underway according to Tina Davidson-Deitz, branch manager for AAA in central New York.
"We are seeing a lot of day- and long-weekend trips to the Finger Lakes, Thousand Islands, Adirondacks, and the Lake George area," Davidson-Deitz said. "State parks remain popular as the tourists enjoy hiking and being out in nature."
Davidson-Deitz says they are also seeing a lot of people book vacations or re-route their international trips for U.S. destinations like Florida and various national parks. That's in line with what other tourism officials say is the current trend: more people may be willing to travel right now, but safety is still top of mind as they make decisions about where to go and even what hotels to stay at once they arrive.
