PRESS RELEASE

July 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM

NYSTIA Contact: Rachele Markle Email: 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.

“The Catharine Valley Trail Experience project has been an amazing collaboration between the Chamber, East Shore Marketing, the Friends of the Catharine Valley Trail, and New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation,” said Nigar Hale, Executive Director of the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce. “To be recognized by NYSTIA for the project's signage, brochures, printed materials, and overall creative work is a tremendous honor. These Awards of Excellence are a meaningful recognition of the creativity and collaboration behind the project, and of what can be achieved when organizations come together with a shared vision to strengthen our region.”

"We are incredibly honored to receive two NYSTIA Tourism Excellence Awards for 'The Catharine Valley Trail Experience Project'," said Paula Tarallo, founder of East Shore Marketing. "Collaborating with the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce to bring this project to life was a deeply rewarding creative journey for our team. Our work highlights the impact of thoughtful, intentional design in showcasing New York's beautiful outdoor assets and is a testament to the power of regional partnerships."

“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.”

Award recipients are recognized in the following format:

Honoree Campaign/Project/Person

Organization Name Award Category: Subcategory

- *Budget Subcategory (if applicable)

 *To ensure fair competition among organizations of similar budgets, nominators were asked to include the nominated organization’s total annual tourism operating budget (under or over $500,000). In the case(s) where a category receives nominations in both budget ranges, two awards—one in each budget range—are awarded.