Great New York State Fair - 2025 Tourism Champions Program

Where are bison farms in N.Y.?

We got great questions like that during the Great New York State Fair. (It turns out there are at least five bison farms in the state.)

We had an excellent location in the Exposition Center, where we handed out thousands of guides and took hundreds of photos with our new 'Picture Yourself In New York State' photo kiosk. Brochures were rotated daily in our racks to ensure all our Tourism Champions had equal visibility throughout the Fair. Fairgoers loved the new photo kiosk and enjoyed the other booth features showcasing the state (video display, interactive monitor, NYS Map wall), getting them more excited about exploring new and interesting New York State Destinations. 

I need to give a big shout out to all the volunteers who came out to to provide expert insights into their destinations and attractions - and to NYSTIA colleague Brooke Wilson, who joined me for many evening and weekend shifts. This was truly a group effort!  

The Fair is one of my favorite shows of the year. I call it "Faircation" because talking to fairgoers about all the beautiful destinations to travel to in New York State is so much fun. It's 13 days of destination storytelling, helping people get excited to start their journey exploring New York State's many diverse destinations. We had one fairgoer come in the booth and say he had been everywhere in the state; I suggested a few destinations and found one that he had never been to before, which got him excited to explore it. There is no more exciting feeling for me than getting people excited to explore my home state! There's so much to do in New York State!

2025 Tourism Champions Community: RENEW / SIGN-UP TODAY!

Find out what's in store for the 2025 Tourism Champions program! I'm excited to share plans for the year ahead.