New York has invested heavily in promoting tourism beyond New York City, promoting upstate as a winter wonderland.
But the city of Ithaca has called uncle against a frigid and seemingly unending winter season.
"Due to this ridiculously stupid winter, Ithaca invites you to visit The Florida Keys this week," the Ithaca Convention & Visitors Bureau posted on its website, striking through "Visit Ithaca" and posting a photo of a sunny Florida beach instead. "Please come back when things thaw out."
"It was 5 degrees below zero this morning when I woke up," said Bruce Stoff, the director of the visitors' bureau. "Everyone in the northeast is beaten by winter now and we're dreaming of being some place that is warm."
Thanks to http://t.co/vLAIaZVFv7 for "surrendering" to the cold advising their site visitors to warm up here #FLKeys pic.twitter.com/6On41wQDZb— The Florida Keys (@thefloridakeys) February 16, 2015
"Certainly, it’s unconventional marketing wisdom," Harold Wheeler, director of the Florida Keys tourism council, said of Ithaca's message. "I have never ever heard of a destination management office pointing their website's visitors to another portal."
"That said, our temperature in the Florida Keys right now is in the low 70s and we certainly appreciate Visit Ithaca highlighting that," Wheeler added.
Ithaca has received less snow than surrounding areas this winter -- about 54 inches total snowfall since November -- but the temperatures have been low. Very low.
Daily temperatures in February have averaged more than 12 degrees below the 30-year average for the month.