For Immediate Release, Press Contacts: Noah Howard, Public Relations Manager, pr@tourcayuga.com
Rachele Markle, Global Communications Director NYS Tourism Industry Association, rachele@nystia.org

2026 New York State Tourism Excellence Awards
Recipients Announced
Special Ceremony to be Held on Thursday, September 17 in Corning, NY

TROY, NY – The New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) today announced the recipients of the 2026 New York State Tourism Excellence Awards. Each year, this program honors exceptional achievements by New York’s destination marketing organizations, attractions, and tourism professionals across a wide range of categories, including marketing, destination stewardship, and leadership. Honorees will be celebrated at a special ceremony and reception, hosted by presenting partner Advance Travel & Tourism, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in Corning, New York.

Tour Cayuga is honored to be recognized with a statewide tourism excellence award for the Where You Go Matters, Make It Count creative marketing campaign. Created with The Culturist Group, the campaign centers Harriet Tubman’s enduring legacy in Auburn, New York, her chosen hometown, while inviting travelers to think more deeply about the meaning of the places they choose to visit. The campaign demonstrates how a culturally conscious creative campaign can honor history, strengthen destination identity, and produce measurable tourism engagement, especially among heritage travelers and multicultural audiences seeking destinations with meaning, authenticity, and a strong sense of place. To view a creative video from the campaign, click here.

“If there’s one thing a trip to the Crystal City guarantees, it’s a moment of reflection,” remarked Cass Majestic, Board Chair of the New York State Tourism Industry Association. “The NYS Tourism Excellence Awards & Summit isn’t just about presenting awards, reviewing committee reports or casting board ballots—it’s where we pause to look at what we’ve built over the past year and refine our strategy. Think of it as a masterclass in transparency and brilliant design. I promise you’ll leave Corning with sharp insights, fresh partnerships, and an absolute conviction that New York’s tourism industry shines brighter than ever. See you in the Gaffer District!”

Open to all tourism professionals and organizations throughout the state, the New York State Tourism Excellence Awards are determined through a competitive evaluation process led by a panel of impartial industry experts. Earlier this year, the Tourism Excellence Awards Committee restructured several categories to better reflect the full scope of work across New York’s tourism industry. New subcategories were introduced under Excellence in Tourism Marketing Campaigns, Projects & Programs, including Creative for Tourism Marketing, Overall Tourism Marketing, and International Tourism Marketing. The Committee also launched a new Excellence in Transformational Tourism Stewardship category, recognizing Destination Development & Community Engagement, Tourism Advocacy, and Workforce Development. Entries spanned the entirety of New York State, providing the judges with a challenging task of evaluating a diverse slate of highly qualified submissions across this expanded range of recognition.

“It seems that each year the standards of excellence recognized by the NYS Tourism Excellence Awards & Summit are both elevated and evolved,” observed Bob Provost, President of the New York State Tourism Industry Association. “They reflect the increasing sophistication of the visitor industry and the enlightened perspective of the intricate ecosystem of the visitor economy. The addition of Tourism Excellence Workshops in 2025 further enhanced the attendee experience, enabling them to learn from and appreciate the significance and relevance of the work being recognized.”

“Administering the Tourism Excellence Awards is an honor, and one I look forward to each year,” stated Rachele Markle, NYSTIA staff liaison to the New York State Tourism Excellence Awards Committee. “None of this would be possible without two groups of people who deserve our gratitude: the nominators who documented and submitted the outstanding work happening across the state, and the experienced volunteer judges who gave their time to carefully evaluate each submission. A sincere thank you to those who serve on the Tourism Excellence Awards Committee and this year’s panel of judges: Megan Arnone Eckwahl, Hayley Coriaty, Claire Dunlap, Michelle Enright, Sarah Foster Calero, Corey Fram, Ryan Geraghty, Brandi Guerinot, Nick Gunn, Nigar Hale, Danae Jones-Persip, Diana Keating, Olga Luz Tirado, Cass Majestic, Maeve McEneny, Elizabeth Pantano, Kevin Peterson, Shane Rhinewald, Dwayne Thomas, Regina Wagner, and MacKenzie Zarzycki.”

Winner: Tour Cayuga
Where You Go Matters. Make It Count
Excellence in Tourism Marketing Campaigns, Projects & Programs: Creative for Tourism Marketing

About Cayuga County Convention & Visitors Bureau:

The Cayuga County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CCCVB) is Cayuga County’s tourism promotion agency. We increase tourism and related revenues through promotion and research-based targeted marketing, and we improve the visitor experience by providing data and training to local hospitality industry providers. We continuously work to increase tourism and improve the visitor experience, which in turn stimulates economic growth and sustains recreational and cultural opportunities in the County.

About the New York State Tourism Industry Association:
The New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) is a member-driven, 501(c)6 nonprofit organization at the vanguard of transformational tourism marketing, stewardship and long-term strategic planning. 
We assist our members in advancing responsible economic growth, creating jobs, revitalizing communities, supporting small business success, and increasing state and local tax revenues in order to improve the standard of living, quality of life and pride of place for New York State communities and residents. We achieve these goals by facilitating the success of our members in realizing the economic potential of New York State’s tourism industry and act as a catalyst for collaborative initiatives, exceptional marketing programs, industry research and legislative awareness for the private sector of New York State’s tourism industry. http://www.nystia.org/

About Advance Travel & Tourism

Advance Travel and Tourism, a national digital marketing agency specializing in destination marketing, now includes the expertise and reach of Advance Media NY Travel & Tourism. This partnership provides clients with enhanced benefits, including access to deeper data resources for targeted audience engagement, national best practices in travel and tourism strategies, and the expanded expertise of a nationwide team specializing in destinations, attractions, museums, and casinos. https://www.advancetravelandtourism.com/