I think people would need to know it's actually "a thing." From here - it's absolutely beautiful, but there are not a lot of big draws. Of course, there is camping/hiking, seasonal items like apple picking, and now we have Legoland. Those are not enough to draw in people except for a weekend. I think people just think NY=NYC and that's it. They don't realize/know that you can travel 1-2 hours and enjoy a lot of beautiful things - FDR's home, Vanderbilt Mansion, historical places, etc.
Just from a geographic perspective, it's beautiful just to drive around and look around the window - Appalachian mountains, Catskills...
Ok that was my sales pitch!