Mar 20, 2023
Start preparing your DEAI and sustainability nominations! The NYSTIA DEAI Committee, led by Nicole Mahoney at Break the Ice Media, and Sustainability Task Force led by Kate Kruk at Livingston Energy Group, have provided two new award categories for the 2023 NYS Tourism Excellence Awards: Excellence in Tourism Equity & Inclusion and Excellence in Sustainable Stewardship: Champions of Change. Both awards highlight the growing significance of DEAI and Sustainability initiatives in New York State tourism and encourage New Yorkers to share their organization's commitment to these efforts, no matter how big or small. Nominate today!
Sarah Foster Calero
Co-Chair, Tourism Excellence Awards Committee
Director of Communications & TV/Film
Oneida County Tourism
Hayley Coriaty
Co-Chair, Tourism Excellence Awards Committee
Manager, Tourism Trade & Sales, LEGENDS
ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY
Excellence in Tourism Equity & Inclusion
Nominees are those individuals, communities, or organizations that recognize and seek to advance Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (D.E.A.I.) practices for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Initiatives may include workforce development, board building, marketing, or creating a more welcoming experience for diverse audiences including customers, visitors, employees and guests.
Category Requirements:
- Provide project's vision, strategy and plan of execution.
- Describe the implementation of your D.E.A.I. initiative in action
- Identify key stakeholders, partners and their involvement in the project
- Provide qualitative or quantitative results to this point in time and describe how you plan to sustain these efforts for the future.
The initiative should have been undertaken anytime between June 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022 (18 months).
Excellence in Sustainable Stewardship: Champions of Change
Nominees are those individuals, communities, or organizations who are working toward more sustainable practices in their organization. Business or Vendor partners who are encouraging more conscientious, low-impact visitor behavior, promoting the appreciation of local cultures, support for local conservation efforts, reduction of carbon emissions, implementing sustainable benefits to local communities or participating in local decision making efforts that support greener communities.
Category Requirements:
- Program budget information required
- Project prospectus and/or photos
- Demonstrate project's vision, strategy and plan of execution.
- Identify key stakeholders, partners and their involvement in the project
- Provide qualitative or quantitative results.
The attraction or destination should be at least partially operational and accessible to the public anytime between July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022 (18 months).