New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA)

Thank you for joining us last week for the 2025 NYSTIA Member Meeting & Virtual Holiday Party! We had so much fun catching up with you for our end-of-year recap. 🎄🎁 As we close out the year, we want to thank you for celebrating with us and for being part of the NYSTIA community. Wishing you a joyful and safe holiday season, and we hope to see you again next year for another memorable celebration! - The NYSTIA Team

There's Still Time To Sign Up to be a 2025 NYSTIA Tourism Champion! 💪With expanded programming and a stronger presence at consumer travel shows, 2024 was a success thanks to the support of over 40 destinations. With your support, we delivered on our promise of 18 travel shows, made a big return to the New York State Fair, and expanded our reach internationally to Montreal and Quebec. Now, we're ready to take things to the next level in 2025—don't miss out! #travelshows #tourism #newyorkstate

Get ready to celebrate the season at the Annual NYSTIA Member Meeting & Virtual Holiday Party on December 18, 3-5 p.m.! This year’s event will feature brief remarks from special guest Devin Lander, New York State Historian, who will share updates on the 250th Commemoration planning and an exciting look ahead to the 250 Summit events in 2025. #tourism #holiday Enjoy a festive evening filled with activities like trivia, story-sharing, and door prizes, plus the chance to show off your holiday spirit in the Ugliest Sweater Contest or Best Virtual Background/Decor Contest. Raise a glass with your favorite New York State beverage, connect with peers, and hear the latest updates from NYSTIA during the Member Meeting. Registration is free—don’t miss this celebratory end-of-year gathering! 🎄 Register now: https://lnkd.in/eSu7XG94

🎄 The most wonderful time of the year is here, and so is our highly anticipated Annual NYSTIA Member Meeting & Virtual Holiday Party! This festive event will unite our community to celebrate the season with engaging activities like trivia, story-sharing, and the chance to win exciting door prizes. You’ll also hear updates during the Member Meeting, including from inspirational guest speakers, and toast the evening with your favorite New York State beverage. Don’t miss the opportunity to showcase your holiday spirit with our Ugliest Sweater Contest and Best Virtual Background or Decor Contest! It’s free to register, so grab your festive gear, mark your calendar, and join us for a lively evening of connection, celebration, and holiday cheer. 3:00 PM - NYSTIA Member meeting, brief agenda, speakers 4:00 PM - Door prizes, trivia, and festive fun! A huge thank you to our friends at Travel Alliance Partnership for hosting the virtual meeting yet again!

"Today, I am grateful to reflect on a year that in many ways exceeded expectations and anticipate a future full of promise. In fact, I see New York State’s tourism industry on a trajectory for sustained (and sustainable!) growth. In part, my optimism is driven by the incredible potential for success for New York State’s tourism industry in the years ahead - potential fueled by special events, major and historic anniversary celebrations, new tourism assets, and expanding infrastructure. But potential must be realized. Success will not happen by default. My confidence in the future is enabled by the visionary leadership, creativity, tireless efforts, and unprecedented spirit of collaboration demonstrated by you, the tourism professionals committed to success on behalf of your destinations. (Please see the article below on ‘Unity of Voice.’) Once again, I want to express my admiration and respect for the work you all do. I give thanks for each and every one of you, and your efforts on behalf of your destinations, communities, and New York State’s tourism industry." - Bob Provost, President & CEO, New York State Tourism Industry Association

How Does Tourism Impact Your County? Help us test drive our map app 🗺️ Each county on the map is linked to a summary of how tourism positively impacts it from a sending, standard of living and quality of life perspective. And you’ll find a link to a downloadable, easy-to-share, two-page PDF with data for each county - perfect for sharing with stakeholders and supporting tourism advocacy in your community. We want to thank Empire State Development/I LOVE NY & Tourism Economics for access to the economic data, the NYSTIA Advocacy and Marketing Committees for guidance, and the team at Corporate Communications, Inc. for developing this new feature! It's a work in progress, and we want your feedback! Explore how tourism benefits your county directly with our new interactive map. Share your comments and feedback to marketing@nystia.org. #tourism #advocacy #newyork

🎓 We’re pleased to announce the return of the NYSTIA Scholarship Auction, an opportunity to support New York State tourism and hospitality students while bidding on exceptional items and experiences! Whether you’re a long-time participant or new to the auction, this is your chance to help fund scholarships that make a real difference in students' lives. We are currently seeking donations to make this year’s auction a success! If you have a unique item, experience, or idea to contribute, we’d love to hear from you. From distinctive memorabilia to exclusive opportunities, every donation brings us closer to our goal! Donate today. "Let’s make the 2025 scholarship auction entertaining and impactful. Your contributions can help change lives while making the event one to remember. Thank you for your support!" - Scholarship Auction Co-Chairs: Jennifer Ackerson, Alon Tourism Solutions & James Sauter, rove #tourism #scholarship #newyorkstate

📣 New Tools & Resources to Support and Strengthen Your Tourism Advocacy Outreach #advocacy #tourism As we approach the new legislative year and, for many organizations, the budget process, NYSTIA's committees and partners are working together to roll out informative advocacy campaigns and tools to support your efforts: 🗽 New Yorkers: Take Your Vacation - This social media campaign and toolkit was developed collaboratively by BBG&G Integrated Marketing, NYSTIA Advocacy and Marketing Committees and NYSTIA staff. Check out the online toolkit to understand why everyone benefits when New Yorkers use their paid time off (PTO) to explore New York! 📍 How Tourism Drives Success In Your County - Our new 'Map-App' uses ESD/I LOVE NY & Tourism Economics data to highlight the positive impact of tourism in each of New York State's counties. We're still building out some elements, but you can test drive it today! More info below… 🧳 Tourism Done Right - We're releasing a new presentation deck template for your use to shed light on tourism as an economic catalyst. Empower and enhance your messaging with talking points and statistics that support your case for continued and/or increased support for tourism in your community!

This past weekend New York State's tourism industry was showcased in Canada and New York's capital city. NYSTIA’s Nate Gresock brought our exhibit booth to the 2024 Montreal International Tourism & Travel Show, and Brooke Wilson exhibited at the 2024 Adirondack Sports & Northeast Ski Expo at Albany's Capital Center. These were our final travel shows of 2024 and capped an unprecedented year of outreach of consumer and travel trade event marketing by NYSTIA for New York State's destinations and attractions. Nate reports that we finished our most aggressive travel show schedule ever with a record-breaking two-day distribution of nearly 4,000 brochures in Montreal! 👏 A BIG THANK YOU to our 2024 Tourism Champions! Your support enabled us to get the word (and the literature!) out about your destinations. We returned to the New York State Fair, attended multiple events throughout the year, and had a presence on the Thruway at the Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park. As we look to 2025, we invite you to join us as a 2025 Tourism Champion and participate in 18+ shows across the U.S. and Canada, complimentary registration at the 2025 NYS Tourism Conference, 2025 New York State Tourism Best Practices Summit, and more! #nystia #travelshows #tourismchampions

💡 Each year, New Yorkers leave nearly 40 million days of paid time off (PTO) unused, with 12 million days (over $3 billion in benefits) expiring annually. Imagine if we turned those days into valuable travel within New York State, boosting both personal well-being and local economies. Join NYSTIA's grassroots #campaign to encourage New Yorkers to use their PTO in-state this holiday season. Use the free toolkit on our website to make sharing this message easy and effective. #NewYorkPTO Let’s unlock the value of unused PTO for a stronger New York tourism economy. Our thanks to the team at BBG&G Integrated Marketing for their efforts in launching this initiative. #NYVacation #NYTourism #advocacy