NEWSLETTER
Corning, NY — As New York State continues its gradual reopening, more and more local businesses and municipalities are coming up with new ways to navigate the current restrictions in order to provide guests a wonderful, safe experience (for example, Corning and Hammondsport are temporarily closing some downtown streets to offer increased outdoor dining). This is important for locals, but it’s also important for potential visitors as the country works its way back to summer travel. People have been mostly staying at home the past few months and Steuben County’s tourism partners are ready to celebrate the increasing opportunities to be safely together again (as the state moves into Phase III of reopening). As a result, Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes is launching a new campaign and video called #TogetherAgain.
“#TogetherAgain is more than a hashtag. More than a campaign intended to say we’ve been thinking about you,” says Dave DeGolyer, Communications Manager for the Steuben County CVB. “It’s an acknowledgment that we have made it through a difficult time. Together. By being apart. But now, we are able to return. To be in the places we love. To do the things we love. With the people we love. Together. Again.
It’s also a sigh. A long exhale of gratitude. A nod to the work you put in. To the work we have all put in. Not merely in staying safe. But in overcoming a challenge like no other we’ve ever faced. #TogetherAgain is a friendly wave. It’s a smile saying, great to see you again. It’s a heartfelt welcome back.”
“And it’s our attempt to say thank you to locals who have supported small businesses during lockdown,” adds DeGolyer, “and who have made sacrifices to limit the spread of Covid-19 in the county.”
This is important for the folks who live here. And for folks who can’t wait to return. And that longing to get away, to slow down and catch your breath, to explore and laugh, to savor every aspect of life has probably never been stronger than it is right now.
That’s why, as New York State re-opens, Steuben County’s tourism partners are taking precautions designed to promote cleanliness, physical distancing, and reduced contact, yet still offer folks a remarkable experience. “We’re changing how we do some things,” says DeGolyer. “Not who we are. We’re still the place you love. We’ve just changed the process. At least for now. And with you in mind.”
There’s a good chance travel and tourism are going to look a bit different, at least over the next few months, with more people sticking closer to home. Road trips and day trips and staycations will probably be the way many people begin to venture forth. Testing the waters, so to speak. The ease of getting to-and-from a place, as well as a proximity to home and to what’s familiar, will likely be appealing. As will be the sense of control one has over driving oneself. Over not relying on other people to get you there and, more importantly, back again. The first people from out of the area to come will most likely be returning visitors. People who have been before. To whom the Southern Finger Lakes is familiar and maybe even feel a bit like home away from home.
#TogetherAgain is for them. It’s a way of saying, we know this has been tough. And scary. And it’s not entirely over yet. That’s why we’re making efforts to make things as safe and healthy as we can, yet still also as fun as you remember.
Being quarantined has meant more than just staying home. For some, it’s been a time of pulling inward, of shutting themselves off from everyone and everything. There’s been a profound feeling of disconnect. And while social distancing, wearing masks, and practicing good hygiene are still important, people are craving a chance to get out. To get away. A chance to reconnect with the people who matter most and with the things they love, the things they may have been denying themselves for the past few months.
This is true for visitors and for local residents. #TogetherAgain is for all of them.
“As with any relationship worth a damn,” adds Kevin Costello, President of the Steuben County CVB. “As much as we’d like for it to all just be good times and laughter, there are going to be challenges along the way. Sometimes those challenges are almost unfathomable. But the way we overcome them says a lot about who we are. It reveals character. It also reveals just how much the relationship matters. So, you could say, #TogetherAgain is a love letter of sorts. To the local people who have made a concerted effort to slow the spread of the virus in our area. To the people who have been longing to return. And to our tourism partners who have been waiting to reopen, waiting to greet locals and visitors alike, to share their love of what they do and of the area with others.”
You can learn more about the #TogetherAgain campaign and video by visiting CorningFingerLakes.com.
You watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMSMHbvb5A4
Here is the #togetheragain logo:
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Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes was established in 1994. As Steuben County’s official tourism marketing agency, our mission is to stimulate the tourism economy through authentic storytelling, supporting & developing destination amenities, and connecting visitors to the Southern Finger Lakes. Steuben County is home to the World’s Most Beautiful Wine Region (Budget Travel), America’s Coolest Small Town: Hammondsport (Budget Travel), and one of the Most Fun Small Towns: Corning (Rand McNally). It has also been recognized as a top value destination (ShermansTravel).
Contact:
Dave DeGolyer
1 West Market Street, Suite 201
Corning, NY 14830
607-426-5371 (cell)
ddegolyer@corningfingerlakes.com