Officials on Long Island have launched a new Downtown Deals Travel Pass to boost the economic recovery of restaurants and small businesses. But not everyone has gotten assistance to help soften the blow of the pandemic.
The digital travel pass is a pilot program that offers discounts at small businesses and restaurants across six Long Island downtown districts.
Kristen Jarnagin, president and CEO of tourism group Discover Long Island, hopes to expand the program to more downtowns.
“We care nothing more than about our downtown's," she said. "Our downtown's are such a priority for us to support all those small businesses.”
Jarnagin said the $6 billion hospitality industry on Long Island has been hit the hardest by the pandemic. More than 80,000 hospitality jobs have been lost since the economic shutdown began, most of them at small businesses.
Some in the hospitality business blame reduced capacity rules designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s a little bit contradictory that restaurants can go up to 50% of their occupancy, and in many cases way exceed 50 people in their restaurant, versus a catering hall that can only have 50 people even though their occupancies may be 300 or 400,” said Paul Monte with Montauk Chamber of Commerce.
Monte joined Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who spearheads the state’s regional economic development councils, for a virtual discussion on Thursday about recovering Long Island’s tourism economy.
Catering hall operators told Hochul the 50-person limit makes it difficult for them to reopen or hire workers. Monte said the upcoming fall wedding season could get a boost, if the state eases the restrictions on catering hall capacity.
