Dutchess Tourism, Inc. (DTI) celebrated National Travel Rally Day on May 3, 2022, with a networking and brochure exchange event at Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro proclaimed this week, May 1-7, 2022, National Travel & Tourism Week (NTTW) in Dutchess County. NTTW is an annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry, highlighting the critical role that travel plays in driving economic growth and building the path forward as we look to the “Future of Travel”.
The annual event fosters collaboration and partnerships among tourism-related businesses in the county. When businesses cross-promote one another, visitors stay longer and spend more. Even during the pandemic, visitors injected $417.8 million into the county’s economy in 2020 according to a 2021 study by Tourism Economics.
“Dutchess Tourism is planning for a future that builds the strength of our tourism industry and the economies of our communities,” said Dutchess Tourism President & CEO Melaine Rottkamp. “This National Travel and Tourism Week, we are spotlighting how people can climb the hospitality career ladder to have incredibly rewarding careers as we work together to foster sustainability, usher in innovation and reconnect to travelers in the U.S. and around the world.”
Destination Analysts’ The State of the American Traveler report published May 2, 2022, reported that nearly 90% of Americans have trips planned this year—three on average. Despite economic concerns, 60.6% say their leisure travel is a high priority in their budget for the next 3 months. Helping visitors in their planning efforts is the newly published 2022 Discover Dutchess Destination Guide. Featured articles tap into all interests from unique overnight stays and outdoor adventures to agritourism and family-friendly activities. The Destination Guide can be found at tourist information centers and at county attractions and will be distributed at national and international consumer and travel trade shows.
According to Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, "The travel and tourism industry helps our communities thrive by creating more than 8,000 jobs, employing 7.98% of the Dutchess workforce. It also supports our many small tourism businesses and attractions both residents and visitors enjoy. We appreciate the work done by Dutchess Tourism as a leader in the industry, telling our Dutchess story and attracting visitors from all over the world to experience the many restaurants, farms, historic sites, art, cultural and outdoor attractions that make our county an exceptional destination.”
DTI also announced the launch of the Dutchess Tourism Taste Finder, a mobile passport program that unlocks perks at 13 craft beverage destinations in Dutchess County. Purchasers can select from a 1-day, 3-day, or 90-day pass and save up to 77%. Offers include free tasting flights, pints and custom glassware. Passes can be purchased at www.DutchessTourism.com/finder. Taste Finder was developed in partnership with Bandwango using their Destination Experience Engine (DXE) platform.
Participating Merchants:
###
About Dutchess Tourism
Dutchess Tourism, Inc., the officially designated destination marketing organization for Dutchess County, is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International. As a 501c6 non-profit organization, it works to bring tourism dollars to area businesses and the community by marketing and promoting the assets of Dutchess County to the nation and the world. The office is located at 3 Neptune Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie with 17 Tourist Information Centers located around Dutchess County. The website is DutchessTourism.com and they can be reached at 845-463-4000. Dutchess Tourism, Inc. is partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess.
