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This blog is brought to you by SLELO PRISM’s Pledge to Protect.  April is Earth Month, a natural time to reconnect with the places around us. Whether that’s a walk close to home, time in the garden, or a day on the trail, Earth Month is a reminder that those everyday moments…

We are in the age of advocacy! Advocacy must be a 365 days per year mindset in Destination Organizations. Advocacy is not lobbying, it is the entire ecosystem we need to build relevancy and support for our work and funding. Preview the 6 hour Destination Advocate Program that will be held in Corning…

Travis Cain is the Co-Founder and Creative Director at Brave World Media, a full-service creative agency specializing in social strategy and management, brand storytelling, design, web development, video production, and photography — with deep expertise in tourism and economic development…

Participants Will Celebrate New York’s Public Lands by Volunteering in Cleanup and Stewardship Events Throughout the State Register for this Event Here Registration is now open for the 15th annual I Love My Park Day, which will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at state parks,…

Alastair Jack is the managing director at Curacity. Curacity helps destinations translate their brand story into editorial opportunities that build awareness and consideration among travelers already engaging with travel and lifestyle content. Curacity complements broader tourism marketing efforts…

We are excited to announce that Rich Gagliano, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Empire State Development, and Ross Levi, Executive Director / Vice President of NYS Division of Tourism - I LOVE NY, Empire State Development, will provide an I LOVE NY update at the 2026 New York State Tourism…

Your Tourism Champions booth was on display at the Montreal Outdoor Adventure Show at the Palais des congrès de Montréal on March 28th & 29th. We were joined in the booth by Kosta Tsimiklis from REACH GLOBAL, representing I LOVE NEW YORK, and Sylvie Nelson from Adirondack Executive Services,…

During last week's Wednesday webinar, Kelly Fitzpatrick from Zartico brought together panelists, Brian Hayden from Visit Buffalo, Erin Rafalowski from Visit Ithaca, and Hilary Fenner from Tour Cayuga to discuss how they promoted their local craft food and beverage to enhanced visitor experience and…

Beth Wales is the Executive Director at the International Center of the Capital Region (ICCR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering global understanding and connection across New York’s Capital Region. Through international exchanges, cultural programming, and educational…

This blog is brought to you by SLELO PRISM’s Pledge to Protect.  Picture a crisp morning in New York: sunlight streaming through leafless branches, a steaming stack of pancakes on the table, and warm maple syrup slowly cascading down the sides. That rich, familiar sweetness comes from one…

On last week's Wednesday webinar we heard from Jamie Mageau and Sally Donovan at Rove as they unpacked the cross-border travel impacts between the U.S. and Canada. They analyzed the 2025 performance for New York State tourism with an outlook for 2026. Traveler Sentiment The U.S. is the least desired…

Kris Fitzgerald is the Principal/Owner of 2k Designs, a small graphic design consultancy founded in 1995. Her work crosses a wide range of disciplines from brand identity and print communications to electronic media, web, signage and exhibit design. Her mission has been to deliver high quality,…

NYSTIA Immediate Past Chair and member of the Board of Directors Executive Committee Greg LaDuca was recently honored with the Excellence in Leadership Award at the 2026 PACE Forum. The PACE Forum is the premier gathering place for passionate destination management organizations (DMOs) professionals…

Your Tourism Champions booth was on display at the Upstate Sports Summer Expo in the Saratoga City Center on March 14th & 15th. There was terrific attendance, with a steady flow of attendees coming through the booth. Congratulations to Upstate Sports for having an excellent event. The show had a…

The thirtieth Winter Symposium of the Canal Society of New York State began with a blast from a vintage canal boatman’s horn and, at the end of the day, closed on the same high note. More than 150 canal enthusiasts gathered for the annual event, held March 7 at Monroe Community College in…

During last week’s March 11 Wednesday Webinar, Nick Beaulieu from Sojern, presented significant insights from Sojern's 2026 State of Destination Marketing Report and discussed how measuring economic impact ranks as DMO's top priority amid AI Disruption. Sojern's 2026 State of Destination…

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation today announced recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to add 25 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The nominations include an intact 1905 metal…

During this pre-conference session on the morning of Wednesday, April 22 at the 2026 New York State Tourism Conference, hear from Cornell Cooperative Extension educators Lindsey Pashow and Laura Biasillo about how TPA’s and agritourism operators are working…

Sarah Bilofsky is a Brand and Content Strategist who partners with 2k Design. For over two decades, 2k Design has crafted strategic design solutions based on their clients’ unique needs. Their work includes identity, print, web, packaging, signage, and exhibit design. They believe thoughtful…

Mindy Yoder, founder of Rest By The Willow, is a Wellness Dietitian and Certified Travel Coach. With roots in hospitality, she began her career as a Restaurant Guest Service Manager at the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World, followed by a role as Sales Manager at Hyatt Regency Buffalo. After…