New research shows tourism in Westchester County is booming.

The data says tourism in the area has hit an all-time high, with visitor spending hitting nearly $2 billion last year. This makes Westchester the third most popular travel destination in the state, behind New York City and Long Island.

Barry Surman, the county’s deputy director of tourism and film, oversees the new tourism ads that started hitting the airwaves last summer from Philadelphia to Boston.

“You can get from ocean water in Long Island Sound to fresh water in the Hudson River in 15 or 20 minutes. There are places to hike, bike, great 18,000 acres of parks, Playland,” he says.  

The visitors are also having a big impact on the economy. Nearly 25,000 jobs are now directly tied to Westchester tourism. The activity has also led to a boom in the local film industry.

Surman says that on average, his office receives more than one inquiry for every day of the year from a film or TV producer or commercial project looking for some place to shoot in the area.