Jul 20, 2026
We are excited to announce that Andreas Weissenborn, SVP of Advocacy & Destination Advancement at Destinations International, will deliver the Friday morning keynote at the 2026 New York State Tourism Excellence Summit on September 18 in Corning, New York. The 2026 Summit general session programming is themed 'Excellence In Advocacy'.
In his session, "Building a Destination Advocacy First Aid Kit," Andreas will focus on how destination organizations can improve readiness, align staff and board members, and strengthen their ability to respond with confidence when advocacy moments emerge.
Key Takeaways Include:
- Learning how to translate advocacy principles into practical internal systems.
- Exploring how to build an “Advocacy First Aid Kit” that brings together key contacts, proof points, approved messages, policy assets, operational roles, and research before an issue or opportunity arises.
About Andreas Weissenborn
Introduced to the world of destination organizations by a random internship application to Visit Baltimore (then known as Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association), Andreas Weissenborn began an unexpected career into hospitality that left him with a continued passion towards the tourism industry.
Weissenborn spent just short of 11 years with Visit Baltimore helping with its Research, Technology, and Information Systems across the organization. In 2017, he joined the Association on behalf of a Destinations International Foundation initiative to be a dedicated research source for Destinations International.
As part of his responsibilities, include supporting our core advocacy and research initiatives such as the community shared value, the tourism lexicon, the event impact calculator, and various reporting platforms, and our belief of destination promotion being a common good for the greater good.
About Destinations International
We believe that destination organizations positively impact local communities as a dynamic place to visit, live and work. As such, Destinations International, the global association for destination professionals, elevates tourism by educating, equipping, empowering and connecting its members to better fulfill their missions and achieve positive results around the world.