New York State of Mind: Cuomo Unveils New State Tourism Campaign

Yes, there is a New York beyond New York City! And it’s working hard to make sure the rest of the world knows about tourism to the state.

New York State staged is second Tourism Summit on May 14, an event hosted by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Cuomo unveiled plans for a $45 million campaign to promote tourism to the state, up 50 percent from last year.

That kind of money should make New York one of the largest state-funded tourism programs in the country. “Tourism plays an integral role in the economy, and we will continue our work to make sure it thrives, creates jobs, and generates new economic opportunities for our state,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo also announced plans for a new tourism advertising campaign featuring such New York-based celebrities as Ed Burns, Steve Buscemi, Billy Joel, Robert De Niro, Michael Strahan, Meryl Streep and Vanessa Williams.

In 2013, New York’s tourism industry generated direct spending of $59.2 billion and an estimated $7.5 billion in state and local taxes. The number of visitors to New York last year is estimated to have increased by 8.8 million, finishing the year at 218.8 million. The tourism industry in New York also added 28,500 jobs in 2013 for a total of 832,500 jobs and generated more than $17.96 billion in wages. One out of every 12 jobs in New York is tourism-related.

Kenneth Adams, Empire State Development president, CEO and commissioner, said New York State's tourism industry has been reenergized under Cuomo's leadership and the I LOVE NY campaign has been reborn. “Today's summit highlights the tourism industry's incredible impact on job creation and revenue and assists our hard-working state and local partners in promoting New York as a top destination,” he said.

At the Summit, Cuomo also announced a series of initiatives designed to promote New York State as the tourism capital of the world:

New Tourism Funding: Cuomo committed $45 million in tourism funding, up 50 percent over last year. The funding is in addition to over $104 million in capital funding for tourism infrastructure provided last year for local tourism projects as well as investments in state parks, like Jones Beach and Niagara Falls and facilities of the Olympic Regional Development Authority.

New Partnership with NYC & Company: Cuomo announced a renewed partnership with NYC & Company, New York City’s official tourism bureau, to help build awareness of off-season New York City opportunities in other areas of the state. Working with NYC & Company, I LOVE NY will explore downstate and upstate joint visitor centers, share research and data and collaborate on international marketing.

“Tourism plays an integral role in the economy, and we will continue our work to make sure it thrives, creates jobs, and generates new economic opportunities for our state.” - NY Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Integrated Tourism Campaign: Cuomo committed to a comprehensive and integrated tourism marketing campaign that will bring together the I LOVE NY, Path Through History and Taste NY programs to promote tourism on TV and through other media, on the roads, on the rails, at airports, on the web and on mobile devices. This includes thousands of new road signs, new mass transit and airport advertising, and new tourism apps announced at the summit.

New Group Travel Initiative: Cuomo announced the launch of a new NY Loves Groups initiative to increase group and motorcoach travel, as well as meetings and conventions throughout New York State. The initiative will include a coordinated statewide presence at key domestic and international sales and trade shows, and new group information available online.

New Transportation Access: Cuomo announced new transportation access to tourism opportunities throughout the state. An I LOVE NY Get Out of Town bus will bring tourists from New York City and key Canadian markets to New York’s ski slopes, wineries and breweries, and special events across the state.

New Special Events: Cuomo said I LOVE NEW YORK will have a presence at key special events in the state in 2014 to acquire consumer data, bolster events as tourism draws and promote tourism statewide.  A full calendar of events will be featured on I LOVE NEW YORK’s website.

New Global Tourism Reach: Cuomo also announced I LOVE NEW YORK will expand its global reach through increased representation and partnerships in key markets such as Australia and China.

One-Stop Tourism Employment Shop:  Cuomo said a one-stop-shop website of hospitality training programs will be created to connect graduates of these kinds of programs with employers in the hospitality industry, which will create a statewide culture of hospitality, improve guest experiences and create jobs.

New Roadmap for Tourism Investment: The governor said a gap analysis will help identify transformative tourism infrastructure and marketing challenges and opportunities, and create a roadmap for public and private investment in the tourism sector.

New Outdoor Tourism Promotion: Cuomo said the state will launch a new campaign specifically targeted to promote outdoor tourism, including a partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to launch the Official NY State Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife App; Office of Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation with an early camping discount program; and a partnership with the Campground Owners of NY, which will represent I LOVE NEW YORK at RV shows nationwide.

Expanded Mobile Presence: Earlier this year, New York State launched a user-friendly ILOVENY.com website. On May 14, a fully integrated I LOVE NY mobile app was launched that includes information on regional attractions, events, food, adventure/trip planning through a concierge function and connections to other state-tourism related apps.

New Funding for Market NY: Funding for the Market NY program will be increased to $12 million. This funding, awarded through the regional economic development council process, allows tourism assets across the state to make necessary brick-and-mortar improvements and deploy innovative marketing campaigns to increase visitors.

Source: Travel Pulse, http://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/new-york-state-of-mind-cuomo-unveils-new-state-tourism-campaign.html