News

Your New York State Tourism Champions booth was at the 2025 World Canals Conference, held at the Buffalo Convention Center from Sunday, September 21st, through Thursday, September 25th. The Tourism Champions booth was also at the Fairport Erie Canal Bicentennial Celebration at Perinton Park in…

The Empire State Trail (EST) isn’t just the longest multi-use state trail in the country — it’s a vital driver of tourism and economic growth across New York. From bed-and-breakfasts in Western NY to breweries in the Hudson Valley to farm stands in the Adirondacks, the trail fuels local…

Join us on Wednesday October 1st at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Cassandra Razzi from Orange142 to learn about GEO! Register Now This presentation explores generative Engine Optimization (GEO)—a cutting-edge strategy to ensure destination content appears in AI-generated…

This week’s Wednesday Webinar featured David Brett and Karl Llewellyn from Wheresight, who shared practical strategies for helping tourism operators improve their digital presence and boost visitor conversion. They explained how DMOs can audit and benchmark their operators’ digital maturity,…

Following the election of board members at the September 11, 2025 Annual Meeting, members of the board voted unanimously to elect the proposed slate of candidates for the NYSTIA Executive Committee: Board Chair: Cass Harrington, President & CEO, Destination Marketing Corp. - Otsego County Vice…

Join us on Wednesday December 3rd at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Erica Schneider from Park & Trails NY to learn about the Empire State Trail! Parks & Trails New York will provide an overview of their successful Empire State Trail Town program that helps communities identify…

Join us on Wednesday October 8th at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Brendan Woodruff from NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to learn how you can use digital tools to upgrade your visitor experience! Register Now This presentation will cover the ins and outs of how…

Thank you to the 220+ tourism industry professionals who joined us from across New York State, the USA, Canada, Europe and Ireland at the 2025 New York State Tourism Excellence Awards & Summit and the NYS 250 Commemoration Summit in Lake George! We want to express our appreciation and gratitude…

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the 2025 World Canals Conference has commenced in Buffalo, during the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial year. Bringing an international audience together of canal enthusiasts, historians, and waterway experts, the group will celebrate and discuss the rich history…

Our first Wednesday Webinar of the season featured Chris Coughlan and Alexis Shippee from Black Dog Designs, who explored how communities can build authentic brands that resonate with residents, businesses, and visitors. With multiple examples and visuals, they highlighted the importance of…

Join us on Wednesday September 24th at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from David Brett from Wheresight to learn about digital maturity!  This workshop explores how DMOs can identify and improve the digital readiness of the tourism businesses they represent. We’ll walk…

While NYSTIA members were attending the New York State Tourism Excellence Awards and Summit in Lake George, your New York State Tourism Champions booth was at the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors' (ACTA) 2025 Eastern Canada Travel Industry Summit, held at the Congress…

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) on Thursday, September 11 at the Fort William Henry Hotel & Conference Center. A the meeting, the Nominating Committee proposed the following seven individuals to serve the 2025 -2028 term of office: Nick Calderazzo…

New York State tourism partners now have exclusive access to the highly regarded Inbound Insider Steps to Success™ online training program, developed by Alon Tourism Solutions in partnership with the International Inbound Travel Association (IITA).  Overall revenue generated from…

The following is an email received from miss-newyork.org: Dear Miss New York friends, Wow, what an exciting year it’s been with the Miss New York Organization, and we’re only two months in! As you know, one week ago, our very own Cassie Donegan became the eighth woman from New York to become…

A recently released Tourism Economics report commissioned by Empire State Development / I LOVE NEW YORK indicates that every tourism region in New York State achieved YOY growth, contributing to another record-setting year for New York State's tourism industry. Over 315 million visitors spent $94…

Join us on Thursday afternoon in Lake George at the 2025 NYS Tourism Excellence Summit where Kelly Fitzpatrick, Client Success Manager at Zartico, will uncover the trends shaping the fall season, from visitor behaviors to lodging performance, so you can navigate it with confidence. Examine New…

Join us on Thursday afternoon during the 1:1 sessions in Lake George at the 2025 NYS Tourism Excellence Summit where Susan Wilmink, Board President at The Angel Nyack, will share about their award winning campaign on preserving a historical church in Rockland County. The Angel Nyack is a shining…

[ORLANDO, FL] September 7, 2025 – Cassie Donegan, Miss New York, has been crowned Miss America 2026 after two inspiring nights of preliminary competition featuring 52 delegates representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Cassie becomes the 98th woman to hold the…

Join us on Thursday morning in Lake George at the 2025 NYS Tourism Excellence Summit where Amanda Dana, Director of Tourism and Film at Orange County Tourism , will share about their award winning digital marketing campaign as a case study. Authenticity is the new currency in tourism marketing. Join…