⏰ Only a Few Seats Remain

NYSTC24 FAM Tour: Transformations!

Curated & Hosted by Destination Niagara USA

There are only a limited number of seats available for the fantastic 2024 NYS Tourism Conference 'Transformations FAM Tour'! You won't want to miss joining your tourism colleagues and visiting these iconic Niagara Falls attractions:

• Cave of the Winds
• Aquarium of Niagara
• Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center
• Reception at the Niagara Falls Convention Center

Full Ticket: $65.00 (includes round-trip bus transportation, guided tours, venue admission, light fare, and two (2) drink tickets!)

Reception Only: $45.00 (includes light fare, and two (2) drink tickets!)

SPACE IS LIMITED - Sign Up!

One-On-One Networking Sessions

One-on-one sessions are free, only 15 minutes, and are included in your 2024 NYS Tourism Conference registration! Book Your Sessions

“The one-on-one sessions provide a great opportunity to engage directly with the tourism service providers. It is time well spent!” 

- Patty Austin

Greene County Tourism & Office for Film

Pre-Conference Session Annouoncements:

Wednesday, April 17

Next Lunch & Learn Webinar:

VEAR Into the Future: How Augmented Reality Can Bring Value to Destinations

Jake Buganski, VP of Client Engagement at Fourth Idea will discuss the emergence of augmented reality as an "idea whose time has come" for destinations. A history of the technology and its capabilities will be presented, as well as examples of practical applications and implementation strategies for DMOs. Register Now

You'll Learn:

• How augmented reality can bring value to destinations in ways only a DMO can provide
• Why now is the time to consider adding this type of content to your marketing plans
• How the promotional value of augmented reality programming pays dividends!

When: Wednesday, April 10 at 12:00 pm E.T.

Cost: Free!

Please share this invite! The NYSTIA Lunch & Learn Webinars are open to all NYSTIA members and their guests. Register Now

You're Invited! Join NYSTIA's DEAI Committee

All are welcome! NYSTIA acknowledges and advocates the need to cultivate diversity, equitability and inclusion (DEI) of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries of New York State. NYSTIA's DEAI Committee meets virtually on the last Friday of every month to discuss new initiatives and outcomes, plan future events, share DEAI resources and New York State case studies, present on panels, and more. NYSTIA's DEAI Committee is open to all NYSTIA members!

Join the Committee!

RECAP: Getting Started with Marketing Automation

During last week's Lunch and Learn Webinar, Bren Jobe from Corporate Communications presented a thorough overview on the many opportunities within marketing automation and how you can shift to this software for maximum marketing success!

Read the Full Recap

Success in Canada! Ottawa Travel & Vacation Show

We brought your trade show booth and literature back to Ottawa last weekend, exhibiting at the Ottawa Travel & Vacation Show at the Shaw Centre. We had a corner booth at the beginning of the United States section. The show was very successful, with more attendees than last year. One retired couple visiting the booth said that the booth had some of the best literature at the show, and the variety of literature made it one of the most valuable booths for them to plan their next vacation...

Read the Full Recap

Nominating is a once-a-year opportunity to recognize the amazing work you and your colleagues do every day to advance New York State tourism. Nominate your own organization, a leader, a partner in your county, or a colleague deserving of recognition. Let us know what you and your team have been up to, or let someone know how much you appreciate their hard work!

Nominate Now - Deadline: April 19

• U.S. Travel's Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) and National Travel & Tourism Week (NTTW) toolkits are now available! Use your voice to celebrate travel and meetings' undeniable impact on communities and businesses across the country. Download the NTTW Toolkit | Download the GMID Toolkit
• Key Issue Talking Points: NYSHTA's 2024 Tourism Advocacy Day one-pager. The comprehensive document highlights their main budget and legislative priorities for 2024 on short-term rentals, the COVID sick leave law, ADA website legislation, and more.

You can access NYSTIA's Advocacy Action Center anytime to View Key Legislation and contact your elected representatives.

On Wednesday, April 10, the NYS Canal Corporation will convene two engaging panels to discuss “Accessible Recreation on the Canalway,” at the Brighton Campus of SUNY Monroe Community College in Rochester. New York Chief Disability Officer Kim Hill will deliver the keynote address and moderate the first panel discussion. 

They welcome municipal leaders, community planners and developers, and providers to discover new ways to enjoy the canalway while ensuring accessibility for all!

Register Now

In an effort to help connect tourism industry employers with talented job seekers, the New York State Department of Labor has partnered with I LOVE NY to offer a virtual career fair, promoting job opportunities in this exciting industry. New York businesses in need of seasonal or year-round staff are invited to participate in a tourism & hospitality-specific Virtual Career Fair.

Learn More & Sign Up

Whitney Skeans is responsible for National Grid's Electric Vehicle Make-Ready program implementation for the company's Western New York service territory. She manages $154 M in program resources and developing customer and vendor relationships that support EV infrastructure build-out for workplace, destination, fleet, DCFC and EV transit initiatives in support of NYS's clean energy transportation future.

Meet Whitney

Please welcome Britty O'Connor, Chamber President at Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, to the NYSTIA Community! In this role, Britty oversees the day-to-day operations of the chamber, sets strategic goals and objectives, manages finances, and ensures the organization is meeting the needs of their members. She also spends time building relationships with key stakeholders, such as local businesses, government officials, and community members, to promote economic growth and advocate for their businesses’ needs.

Meet Britty

The monthly Hearst Media and Albany Times Union newsletter provides informative content, news, tips, and insights on regional travel for their engaged community of readers who enjoy travel! Their email marketing solution offers one of the largest, most comprehensive databases in the marketplace today, containing more than 300 available selects and over 134 million unique email records.

NYSTIA members are offered the opportunity to advertise in their new Travel Newsletter, reaching their over 200,000 subscribers!

Learn More & Sign Up

The 2024 AARP NYSTIA Co-Op program will feature a February presentation in the AARP Mid-Atlantic Region (NY, NJ and PA) to target summer vacation planners and follow up with an October program in AARP's New England Region travel issue (CT, MA, ME, NH, NH, VT) to reach the fall and winter travel market.

Both issues will offer some compelling benefit features:

• We will target AARP's age 50 to 59 "active & adventurous" audience, a prime audience for multi-generational summer travel and off-peak couples and family weekend outings
• Advertisers will receive matching space for advertorial
• Both issues will offer reader service lead generation

Learn More & Sign Up!

No new job postings have been submitted this week, but be sure to view the open positions on our NYS Tourism Careers Page.

Take the Tourism Advocacy Survey | Share your DEAI Case Study

Take the New DEAI Survey | 2024 Tourism Champions Agreement |

Submit a Workshop Proposal | 2024 Travel Show Schedule

WHAT WE DO TOGETHER:

Advancing responsible, sustainable economic growth, community revitalization, small business success, job creation, quality of life and pride of place by realizing the potential of New York State's tourism industry and facilitating the success of NYSTIA members.