News

NYSTIA's Higher Education Advisory Council Member, Dr. Muhammet Kesgin, is serving as a co-chair of the 6th Conference on Managing Tourism Across Continents – Tourism for a Better World, April 30-May 3 (MTCON’25). The conference uniquely addresses both tourism and hospitality subjects, making it…

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. Hibercation—a…

Since 2002 Rebecca Repp has served as the General Manager for AMERICAN ROAD® magazine–a glossy publication devoted to promoting and communicating the joys of traveling America’s scenic and historic back roads. AMERICAN ROAD® also produces AMERICAN ROAD TRIP TALK—a weekly half-hour radio show…

Dan Waxman is the account executive for American Road. He helps businesses and organizations grow and achieve their marketing objectives with the use of American Road's sponsored content, contest sponsorships, and print, digital, and broadcast advertising opportunities. The AMERICAN ROAD® staff…

Astrid Jirka is the Director of Tourism Initiatives at Discover Cayuga Lake, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to cultivate informed and equitable relationships between people and watersheds, with an emphasis on the Finger Lakes. DCL works toward this mission by offering a variety of…

Inflation has increased costs 23% in the five years since the last increase in the NYSTIA membership dues structure*. These inflationary increases have significantly impacted NYSTIA's operational costs. The NYSTIA board and staff have worked hard to mitigate these increases through a combination of…

On December 12th, Miles Partnership, PhocusWright, and PhocusWire hosted their 9th edition of The Year in Review and the Year Ahead. The webinar's main topics were Trending Technology, Hospitality Insights, and Marketing Reimagined. I recommend taking a look at the webinar and slide deck, for this…

On December 4th, PhocusWire hosted a webinar with Ciklum and Stripe about how Gen Z is the new force behind the growth of the travel industry. As someone a part of Gen Z, I can attest to the accuracy of these trends and predictions. I found the webinar interesting because it voiced my own thoughts…

View the press release on the New York State Senate website here Albany, NY (Dec. 23) – New York has taken a historic step in addressing housing challenges and short-term rental transparency with the signing of its first statewide Short-Term Rental Registry into law. Sponsored by Senator…

The workforce development panel was the highest-rated program at the 2023 NYS Tourism Conference in Oswego NY, featuring presentations on seasonal hiring, recruitment, training, and employee retention. Panel presenter and former chair of the NYSTIA Workforce Development Committee Jennifer Ackerson…

Thank you for joining us yesterday for the 2025 NYSTIA Member Meeting & Virtual Holiday Party! We had so much fun catching up with you for our end-of-year recap. Thank you to the NYSTIA Board Chair Greg LaDuca for delivering the opening remarks, Ross Levi for once again providing…

Thomas Birch is a sales executive with Walsworth Commercial Printing. Walsworth's mission statement guides the strategic foundation of their company: Creating opportunities for their team, customers, and communities through print. The commitment to opportunity manifests in their history of…

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation today announced recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to add 14 properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places and expand one existing listing. The nominations include a new…

During last week's Wednesday Webinar Josiah Brown from New York's Best Experiences presented his topic: The Evolution of Destination Advocacy: Best Practices from DI's Advocacy Summit Some insights from the webinar: Advocacy in Action Advocacy has changed from a noun to a verb. It's about telling…

Please welcome Ruston Ropac, Sales Assistant for New York Family, to the NYSTIA community! As a sales assistant, Ruston works closely with sales representatives Lauren Alperin and Erin Brof, supporting them in connecting businesses with prime advertising opportunities across New York Family’s…

Imagine listening to a choir if each member of the chorus selected a different song to sing. Chaos! One important component of successful advocacy is consistent messaging from everyone in the industry.  Incorporate the ‘Tourism, It’s Everybody’s Business!' statement in your advocacy…

During last week's Wednesday Webinar Jonathan Keslow from Epsilon presented his topic: Guide to Metrics that Matter.  Some insights from the webinar: Intro to Epsilon A digital media and attribution company. Serving big and small destinations for over 60 years. By looking at individual…

Recapping the 2024 Destinations International Advocacy Summit in October, Josiah Brown from New York's Best Experiences will take you through the rapidly evolving landscape of destination advocacy. How you tell the story of your impact matters. Join us for this week's Wednesday Webinar on November…

Governor Kathy Hochul, Amtrak and the New York State Department of Transportation today announced a restoration of Amtrak’s Empire Service that will aid passengers during the upcoming holiday and winter travel seasons. Following a letter sent by Governor Hochul and others earlier this month…

At the 2019 New York State Tourism Conference in Buffalo, Genesee County's Kelly Rapone and her Scholarship Auction committee raised $17,500 for the Destinations of New York State Scholarship Fund. Due to the pandemic, there was no conference or auction in 2020. The membership of NYSTIA has…