New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA)

An unforgettable event! Huge thanks to the incredible team at Discover Saratoga NY — this success wouldn’t have been possible without your support and involvement!

Last week, a NYSTIA team had the pleasure of traveling to beautiful Akwesasne, New York, for the Akwesasne Tourism Summit! Bob Provost kicked things off as the keynote speaker with his talk on Tourism Done Right. Brooke Wilson contributed to the sustainability and agrotourism panel, highlighting green initiatives across New York State. Afterward, Rachele Markle extended her stay to explore local restaurants and learn more at the Akwesasne Cultural Center. A HUGE thank you to the team at Akwesasne Travel for inviting us, and for their incredible hospitality! #nystia #tourism #travel #akwesasne #indigenoustourism

Let's grow membership together! 🤝 Note from Gregory L. LaDuca, NYSTIA Board Chair and Senior Vice President - Industry Relations at Visit Rochester: "Greetings from Rochester NY! I am pleased and honored to be the Chair of the NYSTIA Board of Directors. I started to engage with NYSTIA in 2017 and quickly knew that I wanted to get involved. I have met so many wonderful people through NYSTIA. I have also learned so much. I could go on and on… In my day job at Visit Rochester I get to work with over 500 active members. As the staff liaison to Visit Rochester’s Visitor Industry Council (VIC), I get to assist in bringing education, networking, and engagement opportunities to our members (along with many other benefits and marketing opportunities). I am pleased to bring these experiences to you: the members of NYSTIA. Years ago, when I was the new chair of the VIC, I was challenged to have a theme for my year of service to the organization. Back then, my theme was engagement; shining a light on all the wonderful things that members were doing together to forward their businesses. At NYSTIA my theme for the year will be “MEMBERSHIP - IT’S EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS”. I believe that the best advocates for NYSTIA membership are all of you- our current members. You are the ones who are benefitting from the educational opportunities, the networking and engagement opportunities, the marketing opportunities, and the advocacy for our industry. So I am asking all of you to bring NYSTIA’s message back to your corners of New York State and tell your community about all of the benefits that come with a NYSTIA membership. I ask you to invite your network to view the NYSTIA membership page. I ask you to invite them to the annual New York State Tourism Conference and the Tourism Excellence Summit. I ask you to join me in growing NYSTIA membership together!" - Greg LaDuca, NYSTIA Board Chair and Senior Vice President - Industry Relations at Visit Rochester Learn more about NYSTIA membership: https://lnkd.in/eBFHPEua

Thank you to the 250 tourism industry professionals who joined us from across New York State, the USA, Canada, and Europe at the 2024 New York State Tourism Summit and NYS 250 Commemoration Summit in Saratoga Springs! We want to express our appreciation and gratitude to the many attendees, partners and, presenters who participated in the event. 🎉 We also extend our gratitude to our partners, presenters, Julie Tierney and the team at our host hotel, the Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs, and our market host Discover Saratoga NY (thank you, Darryl Leggieri, MacKenzie Zarzycki & team!) for their hospitality and help throughout the planning and execution of the event. We would also like to thank New York State Historian Devin Lander (emcee) along with Saratoga County Historian Lauren Roberts, the Saratoga 250 Commission, Saratoga County and County Administrator Steve Bulger for hosting the NYS 250th Commemoration Summit on Wednesday. The program was packed with updates, briefings, case studies of collaboration, and insights from historians, NYS agencies, and tourism executives. We also would like to thank the team at Workshop for putting together the very fun Saratoga Stakes scavenger hunt and reception! Thank you to our Tourism Summit presenting partners Miles Partnership (represented by Julie Armstrong) and rove (Sally Donovan) for their generous support of NYSTIA programming, as well as Bridget Cerrone representing Advance Media New York for hosting the fantastic 2024 NYS Tourism Excellence Awards Ceremony & Reception at the beautiful Canfield Casino. We would also be remiss to thank the New York International Travel Show for hosting the morning breakfast on Thursday, September 12. Last but certainly not least, we would like to thank our colleagues at I LOVE NY/ESD in particular Ross Levi, Danae Jones-Persip, and Sara Emmert for their program contributions and our friends Richard Gagliano and Markly Wilson for joining us in Saratoga. A special shout out to David Alden Contreras Turley, who demonstrates incredible stewardship as our liaison with our colleagues at I LOVE NY/ESD.   We will send the slide decks and photos out as soon as they are all available, so please keep an eye out in your inbox!

What an incredible day of learning, collaboration, and inspiration! From innovative case studies from destinations statewide to upcoming initiatives highlighting New York’s role in the American Revolution, today’s New York State 250 Commemoration Summit was a resounding success! 🇺🇸 We’re grateful to all who joined us in honoring the past and shaping the future. A big thank you to Saratoga County and the Saratoga 250 Commission for hosting this memorable event! Let’s keep this momentum going as we celebrate our shared history! We hope to see you on the 2 PM FAM tours and the 5 PM Saratoga Stakes scavenger hunt hosted by Workshop and co-hosted by Adara - A RateGain Company ! #NYS250 #nystia #tourism #newyorkstate

Arriving on Wednesday, September 11? Register to join us on a FREE FAM Tour, sponsored by Saratoga County and the Saratoga 250 Commission! Choose between two FAM tours exploring the historic and cultural attractions of Saratoga Springs: 🇺🇸 Saratoga 250th History FAM Tour: Visiting Saratoga National Historical Park, Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitor Center, and General Philip Schuyler House. 🎭 Saratoga "Spa City" & Cultural FAM Tour: Visiting Saratoga Spa State Park, Art Deco Roosevelt Campus, Saratoga Automobile Museum, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). After the FAM Tour, discover more in Saratoga Springs with a free self-guided scavenger hunt around downtown Saratoga hosted by Workshop and co-hosted by Adara - A RateGain Company ! No need to sign up - just meet us at the Holiday Inn Saratoga at 5:00 PM and uncover hidden gems and iconic landmarks! After exploring, meet us back at the Inn at Saratoga for complimentary refreshments, light snacks, and a chance to win local gift cards 🎉

🔔 Book your 1:1 Networking Sessions to meet, learn from, and engage with tourism professionals across the state and country at the 2024 NYSTIA Annual Meeting! ➡️ Book your sessions: https://bit.ly/4dVKyPo "I’ve solved problems at the one-on-one sessions; There are a lot of sharp minds in there and—without the pressure of a sales pitch—it’s a relaxed way to get caught up, learn about something new, and see what else is out there. I actually look forward to them!" - Corey Fram, 1000 Islands International Tourism Council "1:1s are a great way to discover emerging tech that helps us work smarter, not harder. They’re a no-pressure way for us to connect with solution providers outside of the typical workday when taking sales calls is challenging, at best. I leave with a menu of options from companies I already have a baseline level of trust in, knowing that NYSTIA has vetted them in advance." - Cassandra Harrington, Destination Marketing Corp.

"The Fair is one of my favorite events of the year—13 days of sharing the diverse destinations across New York State and getting people excited to explore. One fairgoer, who thought he’d seen it all, left with a new destination to discover, which made my day! Our booth, located in the Exposition Center, was a hub of activity, with thousands of guides distributed and hundreds of photos taken at our "Picture Yourself in New York State" kiosk. A big shoutout to all the volunteers and my colleague Brooke Wilson for making this group effort such a success!" - Nate Gresock, NYSTIA Program Coordinator

We can't wait to see you next week in Saratoga Springs for a historic 2024 NYSTIA Annual Meeting & New York State Tourism Excellence Awards! 🏆 Get ready for and make the most of your trip: 🇺🇸 Arriving Wednesday, September 12? Register to be a part of the FREE 250th Commemoration Summit packed with celebrations, remarks from state organizations, & more! 🚌 Choose between two FREE FAM Tours held on Wednesday afternoon after the 250th Commemoration Summit and explore the sights and attractions of Saratoga Springs! After, you're invited to join us on the first-ever "Saratoga Stakes" presented by Workshop. 🤝 Book your 1:1 Networking Sessions! Spend valuable one-on-one time with our partners and solutions providers to get acquainted with their multifaceted services and discuss your destination/organization's needs. Gain insights on the tools, strategies, and technology available to assist you in meeting your destination marketing and management goals in 2024 and beyond! 🍽️ Make dinner reservations for Wednesday & Thursday evenings in Saratoga Springs! Check out the list of restaurants and bars provided by Discover Saratoga and start planning your culinary exploration through this historic city.

We would like to thank the New York Power Authority and NYS Canal Corp for providing reusable bags for the Tourism Champions Booth at the New York State Fair. Allowing Fairgoers to explore even more New York State Vacation Destinations! If your at the NYS Fair, make sure to check out the New York Power Authority and Canals exhibit in Center For Progress!