The Beat

Elmira, N.Y. (July 1, 2019) – The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce’s Trolley into Mark Twain Country begins its 2019 summer tours this Tuesday, July 2nd. The tours will continue until August 31st, including the 4th of July. The trolley is operated as a joint initiative between Chemung County, the Chemung Valley History Museum, Terp’s Enterprises, and the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce, providing tours each summer to promote tourism in our area.

In Partnership with marblemedia  

Premieres Globally on July 12, 2019 

Corning, NY (June 19, 2019) – The Corning Museum of Glass is a proud collaborator on an exciting, new competition series, Blown Away—created by producers marblemedia and a co-production of Netflix and Blue Ant Media of Toronto. The 10-episode show, which will bring the art of glassblowing to a global audience through the streaming platform, will launch on July 12, 2019.

Finger Lakes Region boasts over 75 hiking and biking trails

Pittsford, N.Y. - The American Hiking Society has designated the first Saturday in June - this year, June 1, 2019 - as National Trails Days®, a day of public events aimed at advocacy and trail service. The public is invited to hike, bike, run, birdwatch, clean up and more along public lands and trails, with numerous events taking place throughout the Finger Lakes region and even more hiking and biking trails available to explore on one's own.

Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council shares ways to celebrate May 5-11, 2019 

Pittsford, N.Y. - National Travel and Tourism Week, an initiative led by U.S. Travel Association, runs May 5-11, 2019, highlighting the contributions and accomplishments of the U.S. travel industry. This year's theme, "Travel Matters" focuses on the value of travel and its impact on the economy, local businesses, and personal well-being. In honor of the annual celebration, the Finger Lakes Vacation Region has put together various events, campaigns, and promotions. …

Community Celebration and Ribbon Cutting

Ithaca, N.Y. – The twelve partner organizations of the Tompkins Center for History and Culture invite the people of Tompkins County, the Finger Lakes, and New York to explore this new heritage tourism center on May 10^th at a Community Celebration and Ribbon Cutting.

Located on The Downtown Ithaca Commons at 110 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY, the Tompkins Center for History & Culture will officially open to the public after years of planning and collaborative work by many. This grand opening will resurrect life into the former Tompkins Trust Company bank previously occupying the space. This new collaboration will creatively and collectively share the rich history, culture and artistic fabric of the community.

Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council releases list of venues across region

Pittsford, N.Y. - According to WeddingWire, 40% of couples get engaged between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. That means this period kicks of wedding planning season, with brides and grooms beginning their search for the perfect place for their nuptials. The Finger Lakes Vacation Region is home to a wide variety of wedding venues from beautiful barns to wineries with spectacular views.

To assist engaged couples find their truly distinctive nuptial locale, the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council, the official 14-county tourism promotion agency as designated by I Love NY, has compiled a comprehensive list of venues on the Finger Lakes regional website - FingerLakesTravelNY.com/etc/weddings/. A sampling of the creative venues are listed here.

Begins countdown to spring

Rochester, N.Y. (March 5, 2019) – Today, Rochester Lilac Festival organizers announced nineteen headliners and special guests to perform free shows at the 121^st annual event from May 10-19, 2019. With the Festival just 60 days away, Rochesterians can officially begin the countdown to the highly-anticipated festival season.

This year’s Festival continues the tradition of bringing big-name national performers to entertain more than 500,000 annual visitors from across the State and beyond. Performances will take place on the Sahlen’s Center Stage over the course of the 10-day free festival, the largest of its kind in the country. In total, there will be 70 group performances at this year’s Festival.

Ithaca, N.Y. – Visit Ithaca; the Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and the Tompkins Tourism Program have teamed up to host a 2019 Agriculinary Tourism Conference at the Hotel Ithaca on March 5^th.

Organized for farmers, agriculture and culinary professionals looking to enhance or broaden their business offerings and revenue, the conference will offer a full day of learning opportunities that run the gamut from seed to table initiatives, to discussing the cost-benefit of hosting events or visitor overnights. 

U.S. Travel's "National Plan for Vacation Day" on January 29th encourages travel 

Pittsford, N.Y. - According to the U.S. Travel Association, more than half of Americans (52%) fail to use all of their time off, which adds up to 705 million unused vacation days. Americans who plan, and planning is key, are more likely to use all of their vacation time than non-planners.

So, U.S. Travel has committed to programming that encourages planning for vacations. Resources are available on their website to assist - including a vacation planning tool that allows users to input their number of days off and select specific dates for taking time off.

In support of this initiative, Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council, the official tourism promotion agency for the Finger Lakes as recognized by I LOVE NY, is also encouraging planning a vacation to the myriad of fabulous attractions in the Finger Lakes.

One-of-a-kind collaboration with I Love NY adds attraction and accommodation listings

Pittsford, N.Y. - The Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council (FLRTC) is pleased to reveal their recently refreshed website, FingerLakesTravelNY.com. The vacation region wanted a more robust experience for visitors and found the solution in a website system built on the Simpleview platform. The new website features rich photography, a blog sharing an insider's view to seasonal interests, an event calendar highlighting fun and festive experiences and a comprehensive listing feature. Listings on the Region's official website are ported directly from New York State's official website, ILoveNY.com,a unique ability available through Simpleview's technology and the relationship between I Love NY and the Finger Lakes Region.