Some folks are already starting to gloat.

Summer 2017 seems to be shaping up to be a great one for local business owners who say that sales are up–from wine shops to boat rentals to cottage leasing.

I was at Midway last Sunday and the first thing I noticed when pulling in was that parking was scarce. There were hundreds of families enjoying the undeniable charm of our turn-of-the-century amusement park. It’s proof that families are seeking out authentic experiences in our corner of the world, and that Midway–and indeed our whole county–can serve up the kind of charming, relaxing summer experience that is missing from a Six Flags kind-of-day.

I think people are tired of the modern world. They’re tired of their cellphones and their 60-hour-per-week jobs and they want to find a place where they can pick blueberries and sit on a rocker at an old hotel or hunt for antiques or listen to a concert at a park. The family experience is in, something New York State’s tourism bureau understood a few years ago.

The best thing about our area is its natural presence. There’s nothing gimmicky about our rolling hills. (Just look at our award-winning rest area!)

Andrew Nixon, executive director of the Chautauqua County Bureau of Tourism, said he’s gotten a lot of positive feedback from business owners and local leaders about the summer so far.

One of the season’s success stories was the collaboration between Chautauqua Institution and the National Comedy Center to integrate a comedy theme into Week Six of the Institution’s program.

Nixon has heard from Journey Gunderson, executive director of the comedy center, that Week Six at the Institution was the busiest week of the entire season thus far, as lectures and workshops explored themes between the mind and the funny bone.

“That’s pretty good for a fresh idea,” Nixon said of the comedy week’s popularity.

When Nixon canvassed some other local businesses about how the summer was faring, he said he’s had great reports overall.

“The Portage Gallery in Westfield said sales and the number of people through the door are up,” Nixon said, “and the Fenton Museum in Jamestown, which is not weather dependent, they’ve had 500 more people this year than last year as far as museum attendance.”

And Liberty Vineyards and Winery in Sheridan, according to Nixon, has had the best July they’ve had in several years, in both visitors through the door and product sales.

“When the weather’s good, people are out traveling around and they notice the vineyards,” Nixon was told by Liberty Vineyard owners. “It draws people in.”

And Nixon agrees.

“When you start to see those 30,000 acres of vineyards along the Lake Erie shoreline, it’s a draw.”

Also mentioned in my conversation with Nixon was the work of the local economic development council (IDA), in particular their recent LECOM Health Challenge at Peek’n Peak.

“I don’t have specific numbers yet, but they had great weather and strong attendance.”

The IDA’s Gran Fondo cycling event set for the end of August is also said to have more pre-registered riders thus far over last year.

Irwin Bay Cottages are also reportedly having a great summer, boosted by the international sailing event that took place last week on Chautauqua Lake with its 90 boats. Lots of families were off looking for things to do when sailing events weren’t being held, which was also a boon for local businesses.

And Chautauqua Marina also reports an increase in sales and rentals, which may be true for all area marinas.

Nixon and I also talked about the likely changes in tourism to the county down the road as people look for more authentic travel experiences and as businesses–like the new hotel in Celoron–come in to fill traveler’s expectations.

Is this the beginning of an unprecedented level of tourism in our county, I wanted to know?

Nixon talked about the hotel in Celoron and how one single wedding event there can bring several hundred people to the area, all looking for things to do and with money to spend at local businesses.

Now multiply that wedding by 20 or even 50 destination weddings being celebrated in Celoron and you start to see the potential scope of visitors.

Nixon is optimistic about the future, he says, “for a lot of reasons.”

“The National Comedy Center is going to add more reason to visit when it’s not just July and August, and there’s also Chautauqua Institution with its new amphitheater and plans to expand some of their programming.”

What Nixon thinks is most important right now is to expand the experience the region offers to include events beyond the summer season.

“That’s starting to happen more and more. I mean, the lake is an anchor but we need a bigger boat.”