36
Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 633 Third Avenue 37 th Floor Boardroom New York, NY 11:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Webcast address: https://iframe.dacast.com/b/119897/c/489781 AGENDA I. Approval of Minutes Cristyne Nicholas II. Chairman’s Report Cristyne Nicholas a. 2019 Meeting Dates b. Governor’s Fall Tourism Announcements & Activities c. TAC Member Announcements III. I LOVE NY Report Ross Levi & Team a. Industry Activities b. Public Relations Efforts c. Events Year-End Pod Report d. Digital Efforts e. International Efforts f. Policy & Program Development IV. Programs, Trends & Challenges Input Session for 2020 Planning V. New Business Next meeting: Wednesday, January 8, 2020 11:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 633 Third Avenue, NYC

Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    0

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019

633 Third Avenue 37th Floor Boardroom

New York, NY 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Webcast address: https://iframe.dacast.com/b/119897/c/489781

AGENDA

I. Approval of Minutes Cristyne Nicholas

II. Chairman’s Report Cristyne Nicholas

a. 2019 Meeting Dates b. Governor’s Fall Tourism Announcements & Activities c. TAC Member Announcements

III. I LOVE NY Report Ross Levi & Team

a. Industry Activities b. Public Relations Efforts c. Events Year-End Pod Report d. Digital Efforts e. International Efforts f. Policy & Program Development

IV. Programs, Trends & Challenges Input Session for 2020 Planning

V. New Business Next meeting:

Wednesday, January 8, 2020 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 633 Third Avenue, NYC

Page 2: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

New York State Tourism Advisory Council 2020 Meeting Dates

Wednesday, January 8 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 633 Third Avenue, NYC

37th Floor Conference Room

Wednesday, February 26 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Albany, New York Room TBD

Wednesday, May 6

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 633 Third Avenue, NYC

37th Floor Conference Room

Wednesday, September 30 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 633 Third Avenue, NYC

37th Floor Conference Room

Monday, November 16 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 633 Third Avenue, NYC

37th Floor Conference Room

Please RSVP by the Friday before the meeting to: [email protected] or 212-803-3689

Page 3: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

November 18, 2019

A Division of Empire State Development

1

Tourism Advisory Council Meeting

Page 4: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

2

CHAIR’S REPORT

Page 5: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

2020 TAC MEETING DATES

3

▪ Wednesday, January 8 in NYC

▪ Wednesday, February 26 in Albany

▪ Wednesday, May 6 in NYC

▪ Wednesday, September 30 in NYC

▪ Monday, November 16 in NYC

Page 6: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

GOVERNOR’S FALL TOURISM ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACTIVITIES

4

▪ Opening of Delta’s First New Concourse and Gates at LaGuardia Airport

▪ $9.5M for Visitor Services Improvement Project at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

▪ Groundbreaking on New Belmont Park Arena

▪ Start of Construction on Carousel Project at Canalside

▪ Completed Albany International Airport Transportation Corridor

▪ $10M for Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park in Buffalo

Page 7: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

2019 I LOVE NY ADIRONDACK OKTOBERFEST

5

▪ First-ever event held on October 4 in Lake Placid

▪ 450 guests including Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul, state & local officials, and tourism industry leaders

▪ Activities included motorcycle ride, mountain bike biathlon, fishing, hiking, golfing, kayaking, touring the 1980 Winter Olympic Games sites, and high-speed gondola rides to the peak of Little Whiteface

▪ Historic $240M investment in ORDA capital projects

▪ 2023 World University Games coming to Lake Placid

▪ $1M I LOVE NY global digital campaign to showcases region

as premier location for high performance sports

▪ Empire State Trail Brewery Passport Launched

Page 8: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

TAC MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

6

Page 9: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

7

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Page 10: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES

8

NYSTIA Annual Meeting & Excellence Awards, September 27, Auburn

▪ Election of new board members

▪ Niche Marketing $500K+ Award for WorldPride Campaign

▪ ILNY presentation on recent activities & TPA Meeting

Travel Unity Summit, October 7, Syracuse

▪ ILNY participation on “Cultivating Welcoming Destinations” panel

▪ ILNY official partner for Summit

Oneida County Annual Tourism Meeting, October 24, Utica

▪ ILNY presentation to local businesses on collaboration

Campground Owners of New York, October 29, Schenectady

▪ ILNY participation on accessible tourism panel

Page 11: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

9

PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT

Page 12: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

WINTER MEDIA NIGHT

10

▪ Wednesday, October 30

▪ Sunset Terrace & Sky Rink, Chelsea Piers

▪ Hosted in partnership with SANY & ORDA

▪ 11 ski areas, 8 TPAs, NYS Parks, DEC, NYS

Snowmobile Association, MetroNorth & Amtrak

▪ Included winter crafting, maple tasting with NYS Maple Producers Association, sparkling wine tasting with Wine & Grape Foundation, and ice activities

▪ 50+ media attended including top tier media from: WCBS, CNBC, Today.com, Women’s Health, Parents.com, Travel + Leisure, Every Day with Rachael Ray

Page 13: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

BUFFALO ARTS & CULTURE PRESS TRIP

11

▪ Journalists from Architectural Digest and Installation

Magazine, freelancers for Business Traveler,

Roadtrippers.com, CNN Travel and AFAR

▪ Partnered with Visit Buffalo Niagara & NYSCA to develop

itinerary/meetings with art experts & thought leaders

▪ Itinerary included Darwin Martin House, Albright-Knox

Gallery, the Colored Musicians Club, hard hat tour of the

Richardson Olmstead Campus, downtown Buffalo and

theater performance in Silo City

▪ Coverage in Architectural Digest, Family Traveller, Far &

Wide, Reader’s Digest and upcoming 3 page feature on

Roadtrippers.com

Page 14: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

HSMAI PUBLIC RELATIONS AWARD

12

▪ Winners of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Adrian Award

▪ Recognizes inspiring best practices in sales and marketing for the hospitality industry

▪ Gold award for Public Relations Campaign in the LGBT category for work on WorldPride and Stonewall 50

▪ Eligible to receive the Public Relations Campaign Platinum Award at Adrian Awards Dinner Reception & Gala on January 21, 2020

Page 15: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

13

EXPERIENTIAL & EVENTS REPORT

Page 16: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

2019 POD REVIEW

▪ Continuation of second touring Pod due to success & resources

▪ 37 total events:

❑ 22 in-state | 15 out-of-state

❑ 19 repeat | 18 new

▪ 2019 enhancements to increase engagement:

❑ Fire-pit conversation area

❑ New modular GIF + Selfie Wall station

❑ Kid/ family focused activity wall (Mad Libs)

❑ Literature display wall

❑ Upgraded internet system

Welcome Centers

OPENING SCHEDULE*

Page 17: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

2019 POD REVIEW

15

Page 18: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

2019 POD REVIEW

16

▪ Total deduplicated emails collected was 34,841 vs. 31,299 in 2018 (11.8% increase)

▪ Activated in 8 of 11 NYS vacation regions vs. 7 of 11 in 2018

▪ 79% reported “yes” to received new travel ideas vs. 74% in 2018 (5 % increase)

▪ 88% reported “yes” to likely to plan/recommend trip to NYS vs. 82% in 2018 (6% increase)

▪ Familiarity with NYS destinations/attractions BEFORE experience was 65% vs. 74% in 2018

▪ Familiarity with NYS destinations/attractions AFTER experience was 77% vs. 74% in 2018

Page 19: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

17

DIGITAL REPORT

Page 20: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

FALL FOLIAGE PROMOTION

18

▪ 27,000 users posted using #NYLovesFall hashtag since launching Fall 2018

▪ Top Instagram post for fall season received 9,000+ likes and 143 comments

▪ 8,000+ fall foliage newsletter sign-ups over 7 week fall foliage report time period

Page 21: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

I LOVE NY FALL MADLIBS

19

Page 22: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

I LOVE NY FALL MADLIBS

20

Page 23: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

#BOTHFEETIN FALL SOCIAL CAMPAIGN

21

Page 24: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

22

INTERNATIONAL REPORT

Page 25: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

WTM LONDON 2019

23

▪ November 4-6

▪ Dutchess County, Beyond the Big Apple, Discover Long Island, and Wine, Water, & Wonders part of delegation

▪ High-quality meetings with wholesalers, airlines, & press

▪ Introduced NYC+ program, a 2-5 day in-state fly and drive add-on that capitalizes on demand for NYC

▪ Launches this week with Funway Holiday

▪ NYC & Company and Aer Lingus committed to promoting

▪ Met with I LOVE NY UK to discuss Brexit, demise of Thomas

Cook, Norwegian Airlines, and adapting to changing consumer trends

Page 26: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

FAM TRIPS

24

▪ October busiest month for international FAM trips/tours

▪ Several individual tours from the UK, Germany and Australia

▪ UK operator FAM with air provided by Norwegian into JFK

▪ German operator FAM highlighting Wine, Water and Wonders product

▪ Tour for UK team participating in the Buffalo Wing Eating Championship

▪ Australian agent tour for winners of “Sell NYS Travel Agent Competition”

▪ China operator/agent tour highlighting 4/5 star hotels & unique experiences

▪ UK family road trip from Poughkeepsie to Toronto experiencing top family attractions

Page 27: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

25

POLICY & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Page 28: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

TRAVEL ABILITY SUMMIT

26

▪ November 12-13, San Francisco

▪ Only conference in U.S. specifically addressing the challenges and solutions for travelers with disabilities

▪ Inaugural summit included presentations on market research, funding for accessibility projects, how to make outdoor experiences accessible, best practice for responding to lawsuits, information on disability specific travel needs, etc.

▪ NYC & Company and Dutchess County Tourism presented on accessibility projects currently underway

Page 29: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

27

PROGRAMS, TRENDS & CHALLENGES

INPUT SESSION

Page 30: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

PROGRAMS, TRENDS & CHALLENGES

28

1. What industry programs or projects in other states/countries/localities

are you aware of that have positively affected tourism?

2. What industry trends in other states/countries/localities are you seeing

that NYS could harness to increase tourism or could affect the way

NYS promotes tourism?

3. What industry obstacles or challenges are you aware of that the NYS

Division of Tourism could assist with or address?

Page 31: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

29

FIND WHAT YOU LOVE

Page 32: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Minutes “Draft – Subject to Board Approval”

Date: Monday, September 23, 2019 Location: ESD Offices, 633 3rd Ave, New York, NY Attendance: TAC Members Cristyne Nicholas, Thomas Mulroy, Elinor Tatum, George Damalas (Chief of Staff for Senator Serrano) Phone: Spike Herzig, Ali Sirota, Dan Fuller, Alana Petrocelli, Katherine Nicholls

ESD / NYS Staff Ross Levi, Executive Director of Tourism; Kelly Garofalo-Wilkins, Senior Project Manager Tourism Projects; Anna Pakman, VP Digital Marketing; Markly Wilson, Director of International Operations; Lisa Soto, Director of Public Relations & Licensing; Shenique Coston, Director of Experiential Marketing; Sara Emmert, Director of Special Tourism Initiatives; Heather McElhiney, Director of Tourism Programs & Operations; Richard Gagliano, SVP of Marketing

TAC Guests Greg Marshall, Visit Rochester; Josiah Brown, New York Welcomes You; Tamara Murray, Emerson Resort & Spa; Matt Steen, Emerson Resort & Spa; Christopher Guidone, Big Picture Tourism; Helen Ames, Finn Partners; Madeline Familia, Finn Partners; Traci Suppa, BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations; Mike Oats, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation Phone: Dick Stone, Trajectory Sports; Tom Martinelli, New York by Rail Meeting called to order: 11:04 AM I. Approval of minutes – Cristyne Nicholas

• Motion to approve by Elinor Tatum

• Minutes approved with a second by Katherine Nicholls

II. Chair’s Report – Cristyne Nicholas A. Governor’s Summer Tourism Announcements & Activities

• Governor continues to show great support for the tourism industry and recognizes the investments that are needed to make our state a great place to live and visit. He spent several weeks this summer out on the road actively promoting tourism. Some of the announcements he made and events he attended include:

o Grand opening of the Hudson River Skywalk for National Trails Day o Opening of $3M Welcome Center at Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Site in Poughkeepsie. o Completion of Frontier Town Campground; a new public campground that is a signature piece of the

Governor’s “Gateway to the Adirondacks” o Kickoff to Jones Beach 90th Anniversary Summer with more than $100M total investment o The completion of restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House in Buffalo o A $7.5M project to renew the marina and offer long term camping at Sampson State Park in Romulus o A $6.4M grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation to improve the Genesee Valley Greenway

and Niagara Shoreline Trail, including $4M to forge major connections with the Empire State Trail o A major initiative to examine how the 195-year-old Erie Canal can be reimagined for the 21st century

in an effort to boost local economies, inspire new opportunities for tourism and recreation, and strengthen environmental resiliency along the historic waterway; a key pillar of this initiative is the Governor's Reimagine the Canal Task Force

o Announcement of record-breaking numbers at the Great New York State for the fourth year in a row while setting several single-day attendance records

• Governor also spent a significant amount of time promoting two larger tourism campaigns this past summer: o “See the Catskills Like Never Before” campaign announced at Bethel Woods on July 11

▪ Welcomed state and local officials and tourism industry leaders to Sullivan County for day of outdoor activities that showcase region including fly fishing, paddling, hiking, horseback riding at Rolling Stone Ranch in Bethel, and music and yoga at site of the original Woodstock Music and Art Fair

▪ Day concluded with a Taste NY food and beverage reception at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, where Governor Cuomo presented "The 50th Anniversary Celebration of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair" proclamation ahead of the 50-year anniversary of the iconic 1969 concert; the proclamation was accepted by Alan Gerry, who helped fund the construction of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts at the site of the original concert.

▪ Capped with the announcement of the “See The Catskills Like Never Before” campaign, which included the “Catskills Fire Tower Five Challenge”—a challenge to climb all five fire

Page 33: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

towers in the Catskills for a collection of prizes—and a guided “Hike with Us” Program through DEC

▪ Campaign supported with two I LOVE NY ads and a digital campaign including a new landing page on iloveny.com with travel itineraries built around Catskills hiking destinations

▪ TV AD PLAYED o Campaign to boost tourism in Lake Ontario region where some areas were impacted by high water

▪ Governor went fishing with NYS Attorney General Tish James on August 1 and again with Governor of Connecticut to promote fishing in the Thousand Islands and announced free fishing thru Labor Day on Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River & Lower Niagara River and 50% off camping and vehicle entrance fees at state parks along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

▪ Announcement supported with an I LOVE NY ad featuring attractions in the region and a digital advertising campaign with specific regional content and itineraries on iloveny.com

▪ TV AD PLAYED

• These projects and announcements confirm the Governor’s historic commitment to tourism, which has certainly contributed to the continued growth of tourism in New York State

III. I LOVE NY Report – Ross Levi & Team

A. Updates & New Tourism Numbers

• New Staff o Heather McElhiney, Director of Tourism Programs & Operations, comes from Discover Saratoga

where she was Director, Saratoga Heritage Area Visitor Center, Tourism and Event Sales. In role at ESD, Heather will support industry relations work, including developing and implementing educational technical assistance programs, industry event sponsorships and industry meetings. She will also oversee tourism programs like Path Through History and tourism operations like the I LOVE NY call center

o Richard Gagliano, Senior Vice President of Marketing, comes from CITY MD where he was VP of Marketing. He led their marketing team, but also has an extensive agency side background including working on brands such as M&M Mars, Jaguar, Chase, IBM and Dos Equis, where he helped launch "The Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign. Richard will be taking over the helm for the business and tourism advertising programs

• 2018 Tourism Numbers o New numbers released earlier this month and results are all record-breaking, all-time highs o Over 250M visitors traveled to New York State last year, almost 10M more than 2017 and an almost

25% increase since the Governor took office in 2011 o Visitation was up for every vacation region in New York State o Those visitors generated an economic impact of over $114B-- $6B more than the year before --

exceeding $100B for the 5th straight year o Visitors generated all-time high of $71B in direct spending, up more than $4B from the previous year. o New York State tourism generated close to $9B in state and local taxes in 2018, saving each

household an average of $1,221 in taxes o Tourism remains the third largest private sector employer in the state supporting close to 1M jobs o Passenger counts at all NYS airports increased 4.5% in 2018 and hotel room demand jumped up 4%

B. Summer Marketing Efforts

• Summer Commercials o Strategy for commercials remains the same from last year: a mix of anthemic spots that feature top-

line, must see attractions and more emotional spots that depict the number of memories you can make in New York State

o One of each this past summer, which ran for six weeks in our usual drive market o TV AD PLAYED o Also produced two additional spots for the Governor announced tourism campaigns Cristyne

mentioned—one for Catskills & one for Lake Ontario region

• Summer Advertising Reporting FY 17/18 o Want to share some newly released public information concerning the results of our advertising

campaigns, which is in the Tourism Marketing Performance Report produced by ESD o For FY 2017/2018 and reviews our advertising, matching funds program, logo assessment, and

licensing program o Total tourism media budget for FY 17/18 was $26,444,388, up 13.5% from FY 16/17 o The marketing goals for FY 17/18 were to:

▪ Create awareness and enthusiasm for vacationing in NYS ▪ Establish NYS as best choice for a family vacation in the NE drivable region ▪ Provide information & resources to help family decision-makers choose NYS and plan trip

o The key performance indicators which would measure our success were:

Page 34: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

▪ Measurement of perceptions on NYS attractiveness as a vacation destination ▪ ILNY website visits and activity ▪ NYS visitor counts and RevPAR (revenue per available room)

o Measured those KPIs through ▪ Quantitative in-market tracking research through an outside consultant ▪ Analysis of website activity via Google Analytics ▪ Tourism and economic data from ESD and NYS Department of Labor

o Overall, ESD tourism marketing in 2017/18 was associated with record levels of visitors and exceeded nearly every KPI goal

o Diving into a few of the KPI Results: ▪ Regarding the perceptions of New York State as a vacation destination, there was strong

performance on the measure of destination consideration and critically important drivers, for example we were up 4 points for “would definitely consider NYS for a vacation next year” and up 7 points for “NYS is a place to spend quality time with family”

▪ ESD communications stood out and were highly appealing and motivating, those aware of advertising are more likely to consider vacationing in NYS

▪ NYS exceed expectations on virtually all criteria families deem as highly important when deciding on a destination, NYS is the #1 most considered family vacation destination in the Northeast (Russell Research)

▪ NYS image ratings surpass those of neighboring states ▪ Website: Average monthly website visits reached an all-time high with over 321,000 visits per

month, a 2% increase over the previous year. ▪ RevPar: Available room supply increases 2.89%, rooms sold increased 3.7% and RevPar

increased from 1.1% in FY16/17 to 2.1% in FY 17/18

• WorldPride o Come and gone since last meeting o Brief update on activations ILNY took part of during week of WorldPride

▪ WorldPride Welcome Center opening press event ▪ Governor’s Welcome Reception ahead of Welcoming Ceremony ▪ Pod presence at Family Movie Night, Pride Festival, and Pride at the Falls ▪ Massive Governor contingent in Pride March, including all 11 WorldPride Ambassadors and I

LOVE NY balloons and confetti o Several statewide events that our team worked hard to promote:

▪ Albany Symphony “Sing Out, New York!” performance ▪ Pride on the Beach ▪ Conversation with Bishop Gene Robinson at the Chautauqua Institution ▪ Pride At The Falls ▪ Matteo Lane at the Comedy Center ▪ Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits at Fenimore Art Museum ▪ New Glass Now Exhibit & Pride Tour at CMOG

o WorldPride had over 5M people attend the events in NYC, making it the largest LGBTQ+ event ever o Was the largest event held in NYC history o More than 632,700 people watched the live broadcast of the march on ABC7, 2.5x viewership of 2018 o At 12h30m, officially the longest pride march in the world, with 150,000+ marchers, 750+ marching

groups, and 150+ floats o I LOVE NY spent past two years preparing for and promoting WorldPride, and campaign was one of

the most comprehensive promotional campaigns for I LOVE NY in recent years o Learned value of maximizing high-profile events or anniversaries; given more lead time, it’s easier to

create a more robust campaign, and more effective to promote an event that’s already captured people’s interest

• State Fair Advertising o Heard Cristyne mention that we had record breaking numbers for the State Fair o This year those efforts included:

▪ Amtrak partnership that involved wrapping two cars on Empire Service line 63 with New York State Fair graphics and messaging, serving Taste NY products in the café car during the fair, and distributing promotional materials like seatback flyers and table tents on board

▪ Digital campaign to encourage visiting the fair as part of NYS vacation ▪ A commercial that ran in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Elmira, Utica, Plattsburgh, Rochester,

Syracuse, Watertown, NYC ▪ TV AD PLAYED

• I LOVE NY Experience at the State Fair o Second year I LOVE NY activated in the Expo Center o Seasonal “All Here, All Year” campaign to highlight things to do in NYS year round o Complimented by other state agency activations (Parks, DEC, Canals, NYPA, ORDA)

Page 35: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

o Astroturf with full programing like soccer games, movie night, Santa-lympics etc.

• International Marketing Efforts o Water Lantern Festival in Orange County on June 15 o Pursued two NYC based tour operators that cater mainly to US based Chinese travelers but also

support travel agencies in China to bring visitors to Orange County for event o Chinese tourists spend more and will be 2nd highest ranking visitors in coming years o 800 attendees throughout day with majority from Flushing, Queens o 5 motor coaches and 6 mini buses came from NYC o 170 cars from NYC and the Hudson Valley o Will be repeated annually and include more local tours, exhibitors and visitors

• Summer Marketing Partnerships o Albany hosted the first annual Aurora Games from August 20-25 o First of its kind sports festival & competition featuring world-class female athletes o I LOVE NY official sponsor for event and received several opportunities for branding and media

coverage, including our logo in the skating arena, replays of “One of a Kind Moments” brought to you by I LOVE NY, & the opportunity for a live on-air interview about the benefit of having the event in Albany, which Ross did

o Also provided Market New York funding support for the World Surf League Longboard Classic held on Long Beach on September 6

o World Surf League offered I LOVE NY several opportunities for branding and media coverage including live streaming one of our commercials during the event

C. Fall Marketing Efforts

• Fall Commercials o Just released our fall TV spot, which will run for four weeks in our drive market o TV AD PLAYED

• Fall Foliage Report o Fall begins with the Fall Foliage Report, most popular page by far on website o Launched September 12 with new sleeker, more user-friendly template especially for mobile o Started weekly fall foliage newsletter with information and updates minute report is published o 2,000 subscriptions before first report even published o Started weekly teaser videos on social media that give peek at report o AD PLAYED o Just launched a Twitter “Choose Your Own Adventure” Fall themed thread

• Fall Media Night o August 7 at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum o Attractions & partners included regional tourism representatives, Path Through History, Intrepid Sea,

Air and Space Museum, Beak & Skiff 1911, Six Flags Great Escape, Haunted History Trail, New York State Breweries Association, LIRR, Amtrak and NY DEC

o Activations included fall wreath making, craft beverage tastings, u-pick experience and tour of the Intrepid Museum before the event began

o More than 40 media, more than half new attendees o Included outlets like USA Today, Forbes, Parents, Men’s Journal, Latina, Pure Wow and Trip Savvy o Nearly 10 story leads and press trips as a result

• Path Through History o 579 events registered for the June PTH Weekend o 35+ participants in Spring social media contest o 474 events registered so far for the October PTH Weekend o Brochures/rack cards/posters mailed to PTH attractions & hosts o Email blasts, travel media pitches & social promotions ongoing o Total events for 2019 is 1003 compared to 862 events for 2018 o Total event hosts for 2019 is 231, including 157 new hosts

D. Tourism Funding

• Matching Funds o $4,408,000 appropriated for 2020 program year **this is less than last year** o Newly created online database is easier for TPAs, allows for more accurate reporting, is more cost

effective & requires less staff time to process documents o 2020 Guidelines & Application sent to TPAs in July o All applications received, reviewed & approved for 2020 with every county eligible for funds o Application Part II & required documentation due November 15 o 2020 Grant Award Letters scheduled to be sent late November

• Matching Funds Performance Results o In FY 2016/2017 $4,212,410.80 was disbursed to 62 counties

Page 36: Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November 18, 2019 › sites › default › files › news-articles... · 2019-11-15 · Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, November

o You can see on the screen what is the general breakdown of activities the funds are used for; most TPAs use for advertising as expected

o Overall tourism investment by counties for 2017 was $32,904,651 indicating a 681% ROI. In other words, every $1 of taxes invested in matching funds contributed to $6.81 worth of tourism promotion

• Market New York o $15M appropriation for Market New York program o $7M marketing + $8M capital o Round 9 CFA closed July 26, 2019 o Received 177 Applications o Eligibility and scoring process under way o Award announcements anticipated later in the year

E. Policy & Program Development

• Interagency Taskforce o Reconvened Interagency Tourism Taskforce established under NYS Tourist Promotion Act to expand

the level of communication and collaboration among state agencies that interact with the tourism industry and help increase visitation

o Held first meeting on May 23 at the Capitol and second meeting on September 4 at 625 Broadway o Meetings help keep agencies informed of important tourism-related projects, policy proposals, events

and procedures to assist with streamlining communication and identifying areas of potential growth for the tourism industry

o Taskforce to produce a report on its findings in January to help for 2021 planning VI. New Business – Cristyne Nicholas

A. Thomas Cook

• News broke this morning that Thomas Cook, UK’s largest operators, collapsed this morning

• Shouldn’t have a huge implication for visitation to New York State, but I LOVE NY is monitoring B. Wine, Water, Wonders

• Brings together private sector businesses in order to get visitors to New York State

• Made announcement in June 2019 at IPW that open to private businesses being partners and investors Meeting adjourned: 12:09pm Next meeting: Monday, November 18, 2019 at 11:00 AM in New York, NY