Your Tourism Champions Booth Returns to the NYS Thruway for 2026!

Your Tourism Champions booth has returned to the NYS Thruway exit at the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park at Port Byron, NY. We are excited to work with the Canal Society of New York State to have the booth at the Visitor Center again this year from May 2026 through October 2026. The booth display with your destination literature was very popular with park visitors in 2025, and thousands of visitor guides were distributed.

This year the park is celebrating its 10th anniversary and unveiling a new exhibit, a replica of a historic canal schooner the Lois McClure. The Lois McClure will be permanently displayed in a historic 1853 enlarged Erie Canal lock. With events surrounding the dedication of the Lois McClure and the park's 10th anniversary, we look forward to a great season and even more visitors off the Thruway at the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park.

If you participate in the Tourism Champions program and have an updated travel guide, please inform Nate Gresock at nate@nystia.org.

Next Up: Museum Association of New York Annual Conference, Albany, NY, May 7th - 9th 

Join Us In The Booth At A 2026 Travel Show: It's a valuable and rewarding experience to meet travel intenders, answer their questions about New York State destinations, and share possible itinerary ideas. Use this link to choose an event.