January 14, 2024

Subscribe to this Newsletter

Excellence in Tourism:

Call for Nominations!

It’s time to nominate! The 2025 NYS Tourism Excellence Awards is the premier recognition program celebrating the outstanding achievements and contributions within New York State’s tourism industry. This annual opportunity shines a spotlight on the incredible work being done to advance and enhance tourism across the state.


Take a moment to recognize the leaders, organizations, and partners who make a difference every day. Whether it’s your own organization, a dedicated colleague, a trailblazing leader, or a valued partner in your county, this is your chance to honor their hard work, innovation, and impact.


Share your success stories! Let us know about the initiatives, campaigns, or partnerships that have made a difference, or show your appreciation for someone who’s gone above and beyond to support tourism in New York State.


Nominations are open now — don’t miss your chance to celebrate excellence in tourism!


📆 Deadline to Nominate: May 4, 2025

Nominate Now

View as Webpage

In This Newsletter:

Issue Feature:

- 2025 NYS Tourism Excellence Awards: Nominate Now!

- Guides Association of NYC Receives Tourism Excellence Award


Advocacy:

- Register for NYSHTA's 'Short-Term Rental Law & Details' Webinar


NYSTIA News:

- New Yorkers: Take Your Vacation Social Media Post



Member News:

- New Member Introduction: Astrid Jirka from Discover Cayuga Lake

- Hibercation Awaits: Your Winter Escape to Cayuga County



Upcoming Events:

- State of the Meetings Industry

- State of the American Traveler Survey Findings - January 2025


Featured Co-Ops:

- 2025 Expedia Group Multimedia Initiative

- Spearfish: Digital Repeat Visitor Program


Job Postings:

- Operations Manager, Madison County Tourism

Guides Association of New York City Receives 2024 NYS Tourism Excellence Award

Last week, Kelly Curtin had the honor of presenting the Guides Association of New York City (GANYC) with their 2024 NYS Tourism Excellence Award for Overall Tourism Marketing for a Regional or Statewide Entity, Budget Under $500,000 during their Annual Meeting.


Although GANYC wasn’t able to attend the awards ceremony in September, Kelly graciously accepted the award on their behalf. Congratulations to the team at GANYC for their remarkable achievement!

Accepting the award is Nina Mende, Chair of the Education Committee, Harvey Paul Davidson, Associate Director, Bob Gelber, Chair of the Industry Relations Committee, and Michael Morgenthal, President

⚖️ Advocacy Matters to You

All Advocacy

Register for NYSHTA's 'Short-Term Rental Law & Details' Webinar

This Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 10:00 AM, NYSHTA will co-host a webinar alongside the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), that will offer an in-depth look at the new Short Term Rental (STR) law and how it will directly impact the state's economy, including how state, local and occupancy taxes will be collected. Register today to learn how the final law was agreed upon, the implementation timeline, and how the registration process will work. 


Register now

NYSTIA is committed to bolstering your advocacy efforts with the new and improved NYSTIA Advocacy Action Center! Do you have an advocacy action that needs to be shared? Please contact us!

📰 NYSTIA News:

Save the Date! January 30:

250th Commemoration Virtual Summit


You're invited to join us January 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM as planners, programmers and promoters reconvene for a 250 Commemoration Virtual Summit. The morning program will follow-up on the successful September 2024 gathering in Saratoga Springs with a virtual event packed with updates, progress reports, ideas and guidance.


Register now - Registration is free of charge!

New Yorkers: Take Your Vacation! Suggested Social Media Post:


Did you know that over 40 MILLION days of paid time off go unused by employed New Yorkers each year? Even more shocking, 12 MILLION of those PTO days are forfeited forever, costing workers an estimated $3 BILLION in lost benefits.

Your PTO is more than a benefit — it’s your time to recharge, reconnect, and explore the beauty of New York State.


Don’t let your PTO slip away — take it and make memories right here in New York! 🌟 #NewYorkPT


Full Toolkit

Member News

All News

New Member Introduction: Astrid Jirka from Discover Cayuga Lake

Please welcome Astrid Jirka, Director of Tourism Initiatives at Discover Cayuga Lake, to the NYSTIA Community! Discover Cayuga Lake is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to cultivate informed and equitable relationships between people and watersheds, emphasizing the Finger Lakes. DCL works toward this mission by offering a variety of narrated cruises for visitors, by hosting specialized cruise programs for locals, and by providing educational programs for local children. 


Meet Astrid

Hibercation Awaits: Your Winter Escape to Cayuga County

This winter, escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and discover the art of Hibercation in picturesque Cayuga County. From January 15th through March 15th, this two-month promotional event invites visitors to slow down, unwind, and embrace the quiet joys of the winter season.


Continue Reading

Events

All Events

State of the Meetings Industry

January 14

Webinar | Future Partners | Register Now

State of the American Traveler Survey Findings - January 2025

January 15

Webinar | Future Partners | Register Now

Featured Co-Ops:

All Co-Ops

2025 Expedia Group Multimedia Initiative

This multimedia marketing program offers you the opportunity to leverage support from this initiative and Expedia's reach to cost-effectively target your messaging and book travel from qualified travel shoppers! Act now to access this 2025 marketing initiative! Choose your package and complete the insertion order by January 6, 2025 to take advantage of the matching investment available through this initiative. 


Reserve your space by January 31, 2025! 


Learn more & Sign Up

Leah Gary

Senior Regional Sales Manager

Spearfish: Digital Repeat Visitor Program

Recent visitation is the single most reliable indicator of future visitation for both domestic and international visitors. Spearfish leverages credit card spending data to identify and hyper-target this high-yield consumer group for destinations, lodging partners and attractions with digital advertising placed on a series of market-specific brand-safe websites. 


Learn More & Sign Up!

Job Postings

All Jobs

Operations Manager, Madison County Tourism

The Operations Manager fulfills the daily tasks of Madison County Tourism in collaboration with the Executive Director. As the Operations Manager, your responsibilities include: overseeing all administrative functions, optimizing internal processes, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring high-quality service to our tourism partners.


Learn More

Become a Member | Join the Partnership Community

Share your DEAI Case Study | Submit a Workshop Proposal

Be a 2025 Tourism Champion | New Yorkers: Take Your Vacation Toolkit

Thank you to our 2024 Partnership Community!

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.


Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  X