A local business group is reviving a long-dormant association to help Queens shake its suburban image and attract more visitors.
The Queens Tourism Council, which has existed mostly in name only since the late 1980s, is getting a fresh set of members to reflect the infusion of new businesses and attractions.
Queens Economic Development Corp. officials are hoping to capitalize on the new destinations and pry some people — and dollars — away from their trendier neighbors.
“The idea is to get people to spend money in Queens instead of in Manhattan and Brooklyn,” said Rob MacKay, director of tourism for QEDC.
The more than 20 dues-paying members represent hotel owners, sporting venues and cultural organizations. They will hold their first meeting of the resurrected Tourism Council on Monday to choose its leadership board.
Despite the borough’s real estate boom and flourishing arts scene, MacKay said many still associate Queens with sitcoms
