Understand that this commentary is not by way of criticism of the industry, its operators, workers, or its planners. To the contrary, they are to be commended for what they do, since their contribution is vital to the island's economy. Of the few economic reports made public that I have seen, some either ignore tourism altogether, or consider tourism a factor, but not necessarily a major one. I would like to change that. Having been a resident of Long Island on and off again for the past 50 years, I have been a witness to the spectacular growth of a region whose center of being was New York City, but now is trying to find its way back to itself.
More people live, work, and think Long Island than ever before.
But Long Island lacks one key ingredient for making this a comfortable transition. Problem is that nothing here is fundamentally new or tourist oriented. More importantly, it lacks an identity. This situation is one shared by many communities around the country that began life as a satellite, only to find itself as large or larger than the community to which it was originally attached. In the case of Long Island, a center was never considered until of late.