News

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…

Join us on Wednesday November 26th at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Josiah Brown from New York's Best Experiences to learn about Advocacy Planning! Who wants to talk about Advocacy on Thanksgiving week?? The Sherpa...duh...(that should have been more obvious). Join…

Join us on Wednesday November 19th at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation with Zartico and the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB to learn about destination strategy! No two destinations are alike, and neither are the strategies that drive results—so how do you identify…

NIAGARA FALLS, NY - October 31, 2025 - The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has named "Niagara Virtual,” the exciting and gamified Virtual Reality (VR) adventure at Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours’ new home in Niagara Falls, as a finalist for the…

Join us on Wednesday November 12th at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Brent Foerster from Tempest to learn about Group Pace reporting! Group Pace(GP) and Same Tim Last Year (STLY) reporting are valuable tools that can be used by any DMO to make better sales decisions,…

Join us on Wednesday November 5th at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Jackie Saunders from Tiki to hear about going back to the roots of the tourism industry! Somewhere along the way, our industry’s compass shifted. We became obsessed with transactions, conversions, and…

Wappinger’s Falls, NY—Content Studio New York’s annual, full-color-glossy, national, award-winning magazine, New York by Rail, has been credited with successfully promoting New York State tourism and, thereby, helping to significantly boost the state’s economy. The…

Are you ready to have fun, make meaningful connections, and support the next generation of tourism professionals? Join the 2026 Scholarship Auction Committee and be part of something truly special! As a committee member, you'll collaborate with colleagues across New York State’s 11 tourism regions…

This week’s Wednesday Webinar featured Kyle Pierce and Lydia Ireland from STQRY, along with Jessica VanDeMar from the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, who shared their exciting work bringing Ontario County’s history to life through the Finger Lakes Virtual Museum. The project combines physical…

Real Travel. Real Buyers. Real ROI. Why 2026 Will Be Your Biggest Year Yet. After more than two decades and over 120 Travel & Adventure Shows, one fact remains unchanged — face-to-face always beats digital. You can pour money into clicks, impressions, or boosted posts. But nothing replaces…

Join us on Wednesday October 29th at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Kyle Pierce from STQRY to learn practical insights into designing and building your own captivating virtual experiences! This webinar will showcase how STQRY was leveraged to create the Finger Lakes Virtual…

On Sunday, Brooke Wilson traveled east to promote New York State destinations at the Dream Destinations Fall & Winter Travel Show in Springfield, Massachusetts, engaging with a steady stream of New England travel intenders eager to explore the Empire State. Huge thank you to Steve Fox and the…

In previous presentations and webinars on this topic, Rove shared survey findings from Leger, a Canadian firm specializing in travel and tourism research. Their initial May study explored Canadian attitudes toward U.S. travel. Leger has now completed a follow-up Fall study, providing a more…

At a Press Event held in Rensselaer today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced several passenger-friendly initiatives for the Empire Corridor. ESPA President Gary Prophet was an invited guest at the event. Highlights: Amtrak is restoring trains #235 & #238 between Albany & New York Penn Station…

Your New York State Tourism Champions booth was at the AAA Cleveland Vacation Expo, held at the Embassy Suites Cleveland Rockside on Sunday, October 19th.  The expo had a good mix of families and retirees looking to plan their next vacation.  We saw good traffic in the booth from expo…

PENN YAN, NY, October 16, 2025 — The Finger Lakes is the Wine Enthusiast’s 2025 Wine Star Award American Wine Region of the Year, honoring two centuries of innovation, sustainability, and cool-climate excellence.  This Wine Star Award recognizes the Finger Lakes’ legacy as one…

Join us on Wednesday October 22nd at 9:15 AM for our Wednesday Webinar presentation from Darby Racey from New York Power Authority/NYS Canal Corporation to learn about the new updates from the NYS Canal Corporation!  We will share the latest updates from the On the Canals program, with a focus on…

Last week’s Wednesday Webinar featured Kayla Lloyd from BBG&G Integrated Marketing, who shared insights on keeping the human element at the center of marketing in an increasingly AI-driven landscape. Kayla emphasized that while AI is transforming how stories are created, it’s not replacing the…

Allyshia Hamilton is an award-winning journalist and television host with a passion for all things adventurous and whimsical. She is the host/executive producer of the critically acclaimed New York based travel and lifestyle show, “Get Away for a Day with Allyshia Renay!” and…

Last week’s Wednesday Webinar featured Brendan Woodruff, Director of Sustainability at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), who shared insights and actionable strategies for hosting more sustainable events at destinations and facilities across New York State. Brendan spoke…