Tourism officials on Long Island say even though Suffolk County will soon be inundated with tourists, that’s no reason to leave. They launched a local tourism campaign on Tuesday called “Stay Suffolk.”
The campaign encourages people to enjoy the county’s beaches and wineries, go to a Long Island Ducks baseball game or even pet a buffalo.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, “Here we also have access to a buffalo farm in Suffolk County. Yes, that iconic American animal here on Long Island. Families can come and learn about that iconic animal and do other things.”
Kristen Jarnagin, president of the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission, said, “I understand and recognize that sometimes summer tourism is annoying to locals. It’s traffic, people are coming in and going to all these iconic places and your favorite hotspots, so it’s also really a great opportunity as locals to find our own local hotspot. Go to those secret hideaway places that only we, as locals, know.”
Bellone and Jarnagin say those who stay home instead of going away should post pictures and videos using #StaySuffolk on social media.