The Beat

$64,323 awarded to seven organizations

Waterford, NY - Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation, is pleased to announce that seven organizations have been selected to receive Erie Canalway IMPACT! Grants totaling $64,323. Funded projects include vital work to showcase canal heritage and welcome people to explore the canal in their local communities. 

Lake Placid, NY -- The results of the IRONMAN Task Force Committee community survey are in and the numbers show that there is generally support for the IRONMAN race, but there are opportunities for improvement to make the event more favorable for locals and regional residents.

The survey was released by the IRONMAN Task Force and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) and ran from October 20 to November 1. With the goal of understanding the impact of the IRONMAN race on the community, respondents were asked about specific positive impacts, as well as challenges, associated with hosting the IRONMAN Lake Placid triathlon. 1,598 complete responses were used in data analysis, with respondents segmented by zip code to best understand how the race is viewed based on location.

$1,000,000 in grants available to Ontario County small businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry

Canandaigua, N.Y. – Ontario County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) and Finger Lakes Visitors Connection (FLVC) announce the establishment of the “Visit Ontario County COVID Relief Program” to provide grants to small businesses within Ontario County’s tourism and hospitality industry that were negatively impacted by COVID-19. These funds are available to create new jobs, restore jobs or retain jobs that are at risk of being lost. Applications for funding through the Program are now being accepted by OCEDC on a rolling basis.

Looking to Maintain Increase in Skier Visits and Revenue from 2020/21

Jamesville, NY (November 29, 2021) – SKI/NY, a New York State-based organization that promotes skiing to first-time and life-long skiers and riders, saw an incredible increase in ski ticket sales in 2020/21 – and hopes to keep the momentum going this ski season.

During the winter of 2020/21, ski areas in New York State marshalled to provide safe socially distancing guidelines to keep customers safe and on the slopes. Overall, ski areas across the state saw an additional 300,000 skier and rider visits to its ski areas, a 27% increase over the previous season’s numbers. This increase represented a total of four million visits, putting New York State third in the nation for overall skier visits behind Colorado and California. From a tourism economics view, the ski industry and supporting hospitality services represent 14,000 jobs in New York State alone.

Schenectady, NY (November 16, 2021) – Discover Schenectady introduces a new digital Group Attendee Passport designed to attract new, and retain existing, conferences and group tour business to Schenectady County by offering an easy place to find discounts and specials at participating businesses and attractions.

A temporary, customizable link will be given to individuals attending meetings, conferences, weddings, sports tournaments, and more including crews working on film, TV or stage productions in Schenectady County. This digital passport will list discounts and specials offered by Schenectady County businesses. Passport holders open the link on their mobile device at the participating business of their choice to redeem the deal or discount.

Schenectady, NY (November 12, 2021) – As Showtime prepares to film a new series in Schenectady County next week, Discover Schenectady and the Schenectady Film Commission today released a new video that promotes the County’s assets to producers scouting locations in the television, movie and media content industry.

Month-long harvest celebration kicks off in October

Wayne County, N.Y. - The award-winning Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour returns for the 24th year this October. As the largest apple-producing county in New York State, apple lovers across western and central New York have enjoyed Wayne County’s fall celebration since 1997. All month long, visitors are invited to pick fresh apples, admire the fall colors and enjoy time together having family fun. With activities ranging from corn mazes and tractor rides to wine and cider tastings, there’s plenty for friends, couples, and even Mom and Dad to enjoy.

Lake George, N.Y. -- Please join representatives of Warren County, the town and village of Lake George and the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce and CVB for the Official Ice Castles Kick-off press event at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, at Festival Commons. The event will include a description of this exciting new winter event coming to the Lake George Area and will be followed by remarks by local tourism officials and Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standfird and Events VP Jared Henningsen.

Long Island, NY (September 23, 2021) – Discover Long Island, the region’s official destination marketing and leadership organization, announces three new team members, Danielle Ahmed, Director of Marketing; Marisa Losciale, Media Relations Manager and Chris Beletti as Partner and Visitor Relations Coordinator.

“As the visitor economy on Long Island continues to recover, we are excited to round out our team with top talent that will help our organization continue our nationally award-winning track record of success,” said Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Discover Long Island.

Southern Finger Lakes, NY – Finger Lakes Farm Country, a five-county initiative intended to promote the abundance of agricultural resources in the region, is taking advantage of technology by creating a new Farm Country app as a way to connect locals and visitors with over 200 agricultural experiences and products. From where to cuddle cows or do yoga with goats to where you can visit with alpacas, taste delicious duck-egg ice cream, do u-pick fruit picking, find a nearby farm market, or even arrange for a farm stay, the new Finger Lakes Farm Country app puts the many agritourism businesses and experiences from Tioga, Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler and Yates counties right at your fingertips. …