A new Adirondacks and North Country tourism advertising campaign has been launched.

On the heels of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Adirondack Challenge of whitewater rafting with prominent New York politicians in Hamilton County over the last few days, his office has announced the campaign to drive tourism and improve the local economy this summer.

In the announcement, Cuomo’s office notes that some Adirondack communities continue to recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

The effort is being rolled out through a series of spots starting today, and is billed as part of the governor’s commitment to attract more tourism and jobs to upstate New York.

“With more than 2,000 miles of hiking trails, 3,000 lakes and ponds and stunning natural wonders, the Adirondacks and North Country make for the perfect summer escape,” Cuomo said. “If people see it, they will come, and that’s what this new campaign is all about. We are shining a spotlight on everything this region has to offer because it is back and open for business after being hit hard by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee two years ago. To native New Yorkers, my message is simple: ‘there’s no reason to leave the state this summer’ and to everyone else looking for the perfect summer getaway, I say, ‘come experience the Adirondacks and North Country.’”

An estimated 75 million people live within a six hour drive of the Adirondacks. Last year, 52 million tourists traveled to New York City. Getting even a fraction of these tourists to travel to the Adirondacks would produce a spike in new economic activity, new revenue and new jobs, the announcement said.

To view the new ad, go to: http://livestre.am/4y31H.