HURLEYVILLE -- Four hundred and fifty million dollars in traveler spending made its way into the Sullivan County in 2017, saving taxpayers $1,922 per household.

These numbers were only a few of the reasons for celebration among the sold out crowd at Thursday's Sullivan Catskills Annual Meeting and Holiday Celebration at the Hurleyville Arts Centre.

Another highlight came in October when Lonely Planet picked the Sullivan Catskills -- Catskill Region in their 2019 top-ten vacation regions in the world, the only U.S. location on the list.

Also from 2016 to 2017, the Sullivan Catskills saw a seven percent increase in visitor spending and tourism labor income increase of 12.5 percent.

The Sullivan Catskills had four million visitors in 2018 and Sullivan Catskills President/CEO Roberta Byron-Lockwood expects that number to double in 2019 as the area celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock. Speaking of which, she announced that 36 doves, each weighing over 400 pounds, are coming for a visit and will be placed around the county in honor of this special milestone.

Byron-Lockwood and her team have the goal of making the Sullivan Catskills New York's number one tourism destination, something they're determined to make a reality.

The Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association helps bring people to the county, but it's the members, local businesses and several hard working individuals who then seal the deal.

Some of these amazing people were honored at the event.

NYS Senator John Bonacic was the first honoree of the night, receiving the Leadership Excellence Award. Bonacic also credited the small business owners in the room for making the county tick.“Now the feast is here, the good years are here,” Bonacic said. “And every year you're going to hear and read about successful stories.”

Franklin Trapp of the Forestburgh Playhouse was the recipient of the Star Business Award. He reflected on the power of theatre, which draws a collective crowd to experience a story together. For 72 years, the Forestburgh Playhouse has done that and never stopped.

“The dream is happening in Sullivan County, [but] we need to dream bigger, we need to dream better,” Trapp said. “I'm going to leave here excited and empowered to make our county shine...”

The last two honorees of the night were Marilyn Kocher of the Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast Inn who received the Star Individual Award, and Shane Phillipy of Bernie's Holiday Restaurant (BHR) who received the T.O.A.S.T. Award.

Phillipy is the General Manager at BHR. Phillipy praised the county's sense of family. He thanked his boss Randy Resnick, who he said he sees more than his wife. BHR catered Thursday's event. “It's great to get an award and [then] clean up your garbage when you're done,” Phillipy joked.

Featured speakers included Michael F. De Anzeris III, Account Director of the Meredith Corporation, and Ross Levi, Executive Director/Vice President of the Division of Tourism -- I LOVE NY.

According to Levi, in 2017, New York had 243.8 million visitors and an economic impact of $108.7 billion. He also stated that currently, one in every 10 jobs in the state is in tourism. Levi complimented the Sullivan Catskills' team, calling them stars, while adding that they're known and respected statewide.

On Friday, Byron-Lockwood gave a special shout to Party Master's Perry and Corey Gips. Party Master provided all the sound and a great deal of the atmosphere for Thursday's event. Byron-Lockwood praised them for their role in making the night a success saying, “They are an incredible asset to us.”

In the 2018 Sullivan Catskills Annual Report, Byron-Lockwood thanked County Manager Josh Potosek, the county legislature, state representatives, her board of directors, members and economic development partners.

“Our continued success is the result of these strong partnerships working collectively to develop strategic directives that set us apart from other destinations,” she said. “We are experiencing an economic renaissance and moving in an upward trajectory. We are focused, driven and stronger than ever before!”