The Tourism Industry Coalition of New York State (TIC) — 19 association and industry-supporting organizations whose main goal is to represent the tourism industry on key legislative and regulatory issues — hosted the Tourism Showcase Reception at the Hart Lounge, in the Egg, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY on Tuesday, March 11, 2008.

Some of the statewide issues on this year's lobbying agenda included:

• Increased funding for I love NY
• Identifying a multi-year, predictable tourism funding stream
• Property tax relief
• Scaffold insurance
• Tourism Supplemental Revenue Fund Bill

Members of the State Legislature met with hundreds of tourism industry professionals from across the state to discuss the importance of tourism — the state’s second-largest leading growth industry — and its direct impact on the state’s economy and their bottom line.

New York State hospitality and tourism representatives from more than 30 tourist destinations and promotion agencies were on hand to convey to legislators just how important tourism is to their local economies.

Members of the Tourism Industry Coalition

• AAA New York State, Inc.
• Bus Association of New York State
• Campground Owners of NY
• Cooperstown/Otsego County Tourism
• Dutchess County Tourism
• Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance
• Hotel Association of New York City
• Long Island CVB & Sports Commission
• Museum Association of New York
• NYC & Company
• New York State Association of CVBs
• New York State Tourism Promotion Agencies Council
• New York Power Authority
• New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association
• New York State Restaurant Association
• New York State Travel and Vacation Association
• New York Wine & Grape Foundation
• Oneida County Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Ski Areas of New York

Associate Members

• Cooperstown/Otsego County Tourism
• Dutchess County Tourism
• Oneida County CVB

*The Tourism Industry Coalition is its own entity which is administrated Daniel C. Murphy, President of the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association.

Highlights from the 2008 Tourism Showcase

Senator Mary Lou Rath, Chairman of the Senate Tourism
Committee, spoke at the Tourism Showcase Reception in Albany.


Assemblymember Steven Englebright, Chairman of the Assembly
Tourism Committee, talked about the economic impacts
of tourism in New York State.


(Left to right) Assemblymember Steven Hawley met with
David Holder, President of the Syracuse CVB, and Cindy Kimble,
President of the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance at the Hart Lounge.


(Left to right) Assemblymember David Koon, met
with tourism executives from Rochester, Ed Hall,
President of VisitRochester and K. William
Gunther, NYSH&TA Board of Directors Chairman and
Managing Director of Gunther & Associates, LLC.


Representatives from Lake Placid met with local legislators.
(Left to right) Senator Elizabeth Little, James McKenna,
Assemblymember Teresa Sayward, Carol Joannette,
and Ariene Day, from the Lake Placid/Essex County CVB.


Senator John Bonacic, second from right, meets with tourism
representatives from the Catskills. (Left to right) Peter
Carafano, Destinations of New York State, Roberta
Byron-Lockwood, and Herb Clark, from the
Sullivan County Visitors Association.