Yahoo! Travel website puts Lake George on top-10 vacations list

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Williams

It’s sometimes called “The Queen of Lakes,” and now one website has listed it among the best lake destinations in the world.

The Yahoo! Travel website has named Lake George among the Top Ten “Lakeside vacations that have it all.”

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo noticed that both Lake George and the Finger Lakes made the list, alongside world-renowned destinations like Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, Italy’s Lake Como and Ireland’s Lakes of Killarney.

“All New Yorkers know the Finger Lakes and Lake George are tourism treasures, and we are proud to have their natural beauty recognized on an international scale,” he said in a prepared statement.

The publicity is well-timed for the beginning of Lake George’s busy tourist season, said village of Lake George Mayor Robert M. Blais.

“Anytime Lake George is mentioned in a positive manner, it’s priceless,” he said. “It’s extremely valuable, especially at this time of year.”

In the Yahoo! Travel description, writer Melissa Burdick Harmon says Lake George has souvenir shops, historic forts or tranquility, depending on where you want to look.

“Kids love pretty Lake George, packed with all the souvenir shops, factory outlets and fudge stores that make vacations fun. Take the family to tour Fort William Henry, right in town,” Harmon writes.

Fort William Henry played a pivotal role in the French and Indian War, she notes, and Fort Ticonderoga at the north end of the lake is another destination.

“Those in search of a more sophisticated experience should book into the Sagamore Resort, a classic grand hotel on an island in the lake,” she concludes. “Folks in search of true tranquility will find it on the lake’s far less developed eastern shore.”

The Finger Lakes region was recognized for the more than 100 wineries that line the shores of its 11 lakes, as well as attractions like the Corning Glass Museum and Watkins Glen State Park.

Cuomo said tourism is the fifth largest employment sector in New York, supporting 694,000 jobs in 2011.

He announced Wednesday he will host New York state’s first Tourism Summit on May 8 in Albany. There, he said he wants to seek ideas from industry leaders, business owners and other stakeholders to help ensure that the tourism industry continues to grow and create jobs in New York.