The renovated and reopened Hotel Saranac, seen Monday, was a major focus of two travel articles on Saranac Lake this summer. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

SARANAC LAKE — Two national news outlets recently drew attention to this village and the surrounding area this summer, both saying that it is becoming more than just a place to get your toes wet.

In an article in the Boston Globe on June 19 titled “Sleepy Saranac Lake awakens,” correspondent Rob Duca wrote that Saranac Lake was once a prosperous place where people from all over came to soak in the mountain air for tuberculosis care in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He notes that “the advent of antibiotics ended the scourge of tuberculosis, and with that, the once vibrant village began a downward slide that was further exacerbated when neighboring Lake Placid hosted the 1980 Winter Olympics.”

In an article on CNN July 17 titled “Saranac Lake, New York’s healing town,” author Elizabeth Yuko mentioned many things to do in town and reminded readers that “there has long been a cosmopolitan feel to Saranac Lake, despite its relatively small size.” The article went on to mention local businesses and attractions, one of which being the NorthWind Fine Arts Gallery.

To Susan Whiteman, a local artist and co-chair of the gallery, these highlighting articles are a much-needed boost for tourism in Saranac Lake.

“One of our crying needs in the community is always a centralized way for people to know what’s going on, not only once they’re here but also before they get here,” she said. “We’d like to think that people plan their vacation to Saranac Lake not only to spend time at their summer camps, or on the lakes or hiking the trails, but also to enjoy the many cultural things that are in town. Plays, music, art, fine dining, great stores — there are so many reasons to come here.”

For The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, a 20-minute drive from Saranac Lake, these tourism boosting articles are potentially beneficial to business. The nature museum noticed that web traffic increased 17 percent on July 17 as compared to the day before (2,124 visits vs. 1,815 visits), according to Stephanie Ratcliffe.

A main focus of both articles was the reopening of the Hotel Saranac, which has become a sort of beacon for downtown revitalization. Local business owner Jessie Fischer of The Book Nook said that “with the CNN article and Hotel Saranac open, we have seen an increase in foot traffic in downtown as well as visiting the shop.”

Both articles also mentioned a lack of travel options. The CNN article noted that “Despite its location in [the] fourth most populous state in America, Saranac Lake is not the easiest place to visit using public transit. The nearest Amtrak station is in Westport, New York, and you can book a connecting shuttle to nearby Lake Placid via their website.” In the Boston Globe article, Duca wrote, “The only downside was not renting a car or calling for an Uber upon my arrival; there is only one cab company in town, and the extremely high fare reflected it.”