Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Monday, March 22, 2021 11:00am 12:30pm Virtual Meeting
AGENDA
I. Attendance and Approval of Minutes Cristyne Nicholas
II. Chai Re o Cristyne Nicholas A. Introduction of new TAC members
III. Tourism Advocacy Day 2021 Mark Dorr, NYSHTA
IV. I LOVE NY Report Ross Levi A. New York Forward updates B. New York State tools for testing & vaccination C. Industry support projects D. Recent promotional work
V. Supporting the arts during COVID-19 Mara Manus, NYSCA
VI. New Business
Next meeting: May 24, 2021 11:00AM 12:30PM
NEW YORK STATE TOURISM ADVISORY COUNCIL
March 22, 2021
New York State Division of Tourism
1 CHAIR’S REPORT
2 TOURISM ADVOCACY DAY 2021
3
I LOVE NY REPORT
9 NEW YORK FORWARD UPDATES
Indoor family entertainment centers: 25% (March 25)
Event, arts & entertainment venues: 33% (April 2)
Outdoor amusement parks: 25% (April 9)
10 NEW YORK FORWARD UPDATES
Stadiums with 10,000+ capacity: 10% currently, 20% on April 1
Catered events: 50%, no more than 150 people, all patrons tested, advanced notification to local health departments 11 NEW YORK FORWARD UPDATES
Indoor dining: 50% in NYC, 75% outside of NYC
Movie Theaters: 25%, no more than 50 people per screen
Billiard & Pool Halls: 35% in NYC; 50% outside of NYC
12 NEW YORK FORWARD RAPID TEST PROGRAM
Unique public-private partnership to make low-cost rapid testing available to public Dozens of sites open across state Rapid testing available for no more than $30 with results within 30 minutes To learn more, visit: NY.Gov/RapidTestProgram
13 EXCELSIOR PASS OVERVIEW
Convenient method to share and control access to COVID vaccination and testing records U e Pa b e e (or other authorized verifiers) and verifier can instantly determine that pass is valid Verifiers not able to see any more information than is necessary to verify validity
14 EXCELSIOR PASS JOURNEY
15 ACCESSING EXCELSIOR PASS
16 WORKFORCE INITIATIVE PILOT PROGRAM
April 1: Tourism-Specific Downstate Regional Fair (NYC / Long Island / Hudson Valley)
April 8: Tourism Pavilion at Capital Region Job Fair
April 15: Tourism Pavilion at Finger Lakes Regional Job Fair
April 29: Tourism Pavilion at Southern Tier Regional Job Fair
17 ILNY EDUCATIONAL WEBINAR SERIES
18 PR COVERAGE
19 INTERNATIONAL Adventure Travel Network Virtual Conference & Marketplace February 4-5: E g e O d after COVID-19 200+ attendees; I LOVE NY had several appointments Assembled substantial collection of adventure travel activities statewide Pa c a ed a e W a Destinations Have To Offer The Adventure Traveler Post COVID-19 Only destination from North America at conference 20 INTERNATIONAL
BRAND USA London I LOVE NY and NYC & Company invited to present to travel agents planning to send travelers to New York post pandemic 66 travel agents from England, Scotland and Ireland attended webinar Presented on attractions in 10 regions with emphasis on outdoors
21 FIND WHAT YOU LOVE
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Tourism Advisory Council Meeting Minutes Draf S bjec o Board Appro al Date: Monday, January 25, 2021
Location: Virtual Meeting (due to COVID-19 public health concerns and as authorized by Executive Order of the Governor)
Attendance: TAC Members Cristyne Nicholas, Elinor Tatum, Dan Fuller, Thomas Mulroy, Alexandra Stanton, Thurman Thomas, Alana Petrocelli, Daniel O Donnell, George Damalas (on behalf of Senator Serrano)
ESD / NYS Staff Eric Gertler, President and CEO of Empire State Development; Ross Levi, Executive Director of Tourism; Richard Gagliano, SVP of Marketing; Kelly Garofalo-Wilkins, Senior Manager Tourism Projects
Guests Josiah Brown, NYSTIA; Tori Emerson-Barnes, United States Tourism Association
Meeting called to order: 11:05 AM
I. Approval of minutes Cristyne Nicholas Motion to approve by Dan Fuller Minutes approved with a second by Alana Petrocelli
II. Re a f ESD P e ide , CEO & C i i e Want to thank the TAC members for your work on behalf of New York State and assure you that ESD s leadership recognizes how important tourism has been to the state s economic success Governor Cuomo has made such a strong commitment to tourism in terms of time, resources and attention Amazing to think of what has been collectively accomplished during this administration over the past 10 years Since 2010, New York State s tourism industry witnessed explosive growth: 35% increase in visitation, a $36 billion increase in economic impact, and most importantly a 31% increase in tourism related jobs Unfortunately, as amazing as the track record is, New York State's tourism industry has been hit hard by the COVID epidemic, arguably the hardest of any industry Some projections anticipate a 50% decline in visitors to NY State for 2020--recognizing there are some wide variations between regions; this impacts jobs, visitor spending and tax revenue Tourism industry has shown amazing tenacity & innovation in facing unprecedented challenges posed by COVID o Attractions and destinations utilizing virtual reality applications and other digital media to allow visitors to experience attractions from home and adapted some offerings for safety and social distancing o Our tourism and marketing teams have been actively promoting virtual offerings of partners and creating “I LOVE NY at Home experiences of our own o Promoting safe outdoor recreation / staycations as health & safety conditions have allowed Collective efforts have helped keep otherwise closed attractions top-of-mind and reach a wider audience Tough road ahead of us, but have reason to be hopeful o There was leisure travel activity this summer and fall, particularly to more rural, outdoor recreation-based destinations, welcoming a noticeable number of new, first-time visitors o Camping saw big uptick, with consumers trying this activity for first time and some areas seeing a positive halo effect on local retail and dining o State-owned ski areas reaching COVID-level capacity on weekends and have experienced record sales in season pass holders Our research shows there is a lot of pent up demand, and New York State remains a top destination in the minds of travelers; the number of people who say they will definitely or probably consider NY for their vacation is up slightly from last year – now 85% -- and the highest of any destination in the Northeast We recognize how important tourism will be in the economic recovery of New York State and we are committed to supporting the tourism industry once conditions with COVID make it is safe and effective to do so, just as we have done before COVID Moving forward, will be focused on working with regional tourism partners, industry groups and other stakeholders to ensure we identify optimal efforts, timing and focus to rebuild tourism industry to the levels consistently enjoyed under Governor Cuomo s administration
1 TAC s role in helping to improve guest experience is a valued part of the state s tourism work; I encourage you to draw upon your expertise to provide input and share ideas and best practices from other destinations and from your experience as tourism professionals As an advisory committee, we welcome your ideas on how we can help rebuild this sector of our economy III. Chai Re Cristyne Nicholas A. Tourism Related Governor Announcements Two significant tourism-related announcements from the governor: o Empire State Trail Now the nation's longest multi-use state trail, spans 750-miles total—75 percent of which is off-road trails ideal for cyclists, hikers, runners, cross-country skiers and snowshoers Expected to draw nearly 9 million residents and tourists annually Trail gives New Yorkers from every corner of the state a safe outlet for recreation as we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic The new Empire State Trail website provides quick and easy access to trail information including segment descriptions, access points, trail distances, parking areas, restrooms, and nearby amenities and attractions; responsive and user-friendly design allows users to access interactive maps from mobile devices, zoom in to specific locations of interest, and download/print maps of trail segments Cyclists can print "cue sheets" with highly detailed directions for following trail segment o Moynihan Train Hall The $1.6 billion Moynihan Train Hall project, New York s most ambitious transportation and infrastructure upgrade in decades, was completed on time and on budget despite the many setbacks 2020 presented Services Long Island Railroad and Amtrak trains, features 9 platforms and 17 tracks accessible from the main train hall, has direct connection to the Eighth Avenue Subway and train station from Ninth Avenue We ve been updating on progress for both developments, and are excited to see their completion as both will have significant, positive impacts on the tourism industry B. 2021 NYSTIA Goals – Josiah Brown Mission: Leveraging the collective strength of the New York travel industry by providing collaboration, networking, education, advocacy and recognition to facilitate the success of our members 2020 Programs & Initiatives o Convening the Industry – 30+ events including virtual meetings, webinars and conferences o Outstanding programming with world-class speakers o New Resources – new, state-of the-art marketing programs, legislative awareness and advocacy platforms o In-state travel initiative
IV. I LOVE NY Report Ross Levi A. Status of Tourism in New York Received the 2019 tourism numbers; aware of the pandemic's impact on the industry in 2020, but should recognize the immense growth tourism was experiencing, thanks to the collective efforts of state government and the state s tourism industry o Total of 264 million visitors in 2019, a 4.5% increase from the year before o Total economic impact in 2019 over $117 billion dollars, a $2.8 billion year-over-year increase o Tourism supported more than 959,000 jobs in 2019, with Leisure and Hospitality as the state s third largest private sector employer o Concurrent growth in total number of available rooms, occupancy rate and the average price paid per room Track record is tremendous, but cannot ignore tourism industry is facing unprecedented challenges Won't have full 2020 figures for some time, but some projections indicate a near 50% drop in visitation from the year prior to COVID Per the state's Department of Labor, the leisure and hospitality industry lost approximately 586,000 jobs in the first few months of the pandemic; recovered roughly 309,000 -- or slightly more than half -- but still facing an industry that was disproportionately affected DOL data through mid-November indicates nearly 200,000 industry workers were active beneficiaries of unemployment programs Reason to be hopeful: national consumer sentiment toward travel is optimistic & positive Tracking a national sample to understand current and future travel intent, and have found that: o Among frequent travelers, the vast majority plan to resume travel in the post-COVID era o 92% say they have missed travel "very much/somewhat"
2 o 79% are "hoping to take a leisure trip in the next 6 months , indicating there is considerable pent-up demand and enthusiasm for traveling again o Among group of "hopeful travelers", 40% already made some sort of commitment to travel (have booked hotel, or flight, a rental car or vacation package) Additional good news for New York State in that potential travelers still view New York as a desirable destination, the highest consideration of any in the northeast Saw some encouraging trends that are likely to position New York State well as the nation emerges from COVID, including: o Desire for outdoor recreation and natural beauty; o Receptivity to online booking and advanced reservations for activities and attractions; o Ability of virtual and digital content to create interest at a low cost; and o Excitement by locals to rediscover attractions within their own communities, and travelers in general to seek destinations closer by that thee can drive to There is a lot of pent up demand that New York State will be well suited to take advantage of once consumers get a sense that travel is safe and there are no quarantine impediments to their trips B. Recent I LOVE NY Promotional Work Digital o Created and promoted a Holiday Gift Guide Generated some economic activity for New York State attractions and reminded consumers of their favorite destinations o Published a “New York State Guide to New Year s Resolution for 2021 to help keep New York top of mind for those planning for 2021 Features both in person and virtual activities, includes ideas like getting healthier by exploring the Empire State Trail, improving your cooking skills with a class at the NY Kitchen or Miette Culinary Studio, and trying something new by making your own glass at the Corning Museum of Glass or a Finger Lakes virtual pairing experience with local wines and cheese—among others o Transitioned to the winter season with information on safe nearby opportunities to enjoy New York o Launched a “Responsible Outdoor Recreation competition where we asked our followers to post a picture or video with hashtag on Instagram showing how they recreate responsibly PR o Several publications have come out with their “best places to visit in 2021, and New York secured several mentions, including in Harper s Bazaar, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Vogue o Secured coverage on new hotel openings in 2020; in total, 20-30 stories about hotels opening o Connected journalists and writers from outlets like Forbes and Essence with New York State lodging and attractions, from camping in the Finger Lakes, Greater Niagara and Central New York regions, to boutique luxury hotels on Long Island Virtual Sales Mission o International team hosted a UK and Ireland virtual Sales Mission in December o First day we matched eight tour wholesalers with local partners including Oneida County, Dutchess County, 1000 Islands, Westchester, Long Island, Wine Water & Wonders, Buffalo Niagara, and Niagara USA o Second day featured a training session for 114 travel agents from England, Scotland, and Ireland on selling New York state when it is safe to do so o Given pandemics effect on international tourism, using the time we have to our benefit to educate as many international travel agents as possible on everything New York State has to offer; aiming to designate 600 travel agents as New York State Specialists by the end of June 2021 C. 2021 State of the State Tourism Related Proposals Initiatives outlined in the governor s State of the State proposals earlier this month provided a broad overview of the pillars to move the state forward: o Defeating COVID-19 o Jumpstarting New York s economic recovery; o Creating a fairer, more just state; o Reopening the state; o Becoming a leader in the growing green energy economy; and o Strengthening New York s infrastructure Specifically, regarding tourism, announcements included: o Rediscover New York Campaign to Increase Tourism Governor recognizes the importance of tourism as an economic driver for New York s economy and knows that we must focus on rebuilding with targeted campaigns As we tame COVID-19, he has proposed launching a “Rediscover New York campaign to capitalize on pent-up demand, inviting people from across the globe to safely rediscover New York with all of the cultural, culinary, and other attractions we have to offer
3 o New York Arts Revival The governor also recognized the struggling state of the arts community and proposed the “New York Arts Revival, a public-private partnership that will organize "pop-up" performances and arts events across the state beginning in February More than 150 world-class artists including Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Renée Fleming, Wynton Marsalis, and Hugh Jackman will participate, along with arts organizations such as the Ballet Hispanico, Arts Nova, the Albany Symphony, the National Black Theatre, Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, and many others supported by New York State Council on the Arts, which works with over 2,000 arts organizations across the state Performances and exhibitions will be held at outdoor sites in New York City and across the state, including at State Parks and other State properties. The series will culminate with two landmark events: the opening of Little Island at Pier 55, and the 20th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival in June o Creative Rebuild Initiative To support the arts community, the governor announced the “Creatives Rebuild Initiative where the State will partner with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support New York artists. Developed in partnership with the Reimagine New York Commission, this initiative will put back to work 1,000 artists who have been impacted by the crisis and will invest in dozens of small arts organizations that make our towns and cities so dynamic o Build Out New York State Parks Expand outdoor recreation programming to promote COVID-19 safe recreation, recognizing that more than 570,000 overnight stays are already booked in state parks for 2021, a 23 percent increase in reservations from last year; Launch of the “Empire State Trail Challenge to feature a series of events and itineraries along the 750-mile route, encouraging New Yorkers to walk, run, or bicycle to their local trail section, as well as safely explore nearby cultural attractions, historic sites, museums, and craft beverage and agri- tourism experiences; Drive-through and drive-up events such as Wicked Woods at Green Lakes State Park, Magic of Lights at Jones Beach and outdoor movies at select State parks in spring and summer; Expanded and enhanced virtual nature centers and historic site-based educational programming; Update to the New York State Park Explorer App to provide useful alerts about park capacity limits and offer suggestions for less crowded “hidden gem options; Expanded angling opportunities through a trout stream access website and app; Increased hunting opportunities by expanding crossbow season into big game season o New York Parks 100 Renewed historic investment into expanding the State Park system by committing at least $440 million over the next four years Revitalization will culminate in the 2024 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the State Park Act o Commitment to Diversity To ensure that our historic sites tell the untold stories that reflect the true diversity of our history, Governor Cuomo will further his commitment to making the outdoors available to all by launching “Our Whole History Initiative New York will designate the first Historic Site dedicated to black history by reprogramming Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers to become a museum & cultural site Office of Historic Preservation will expand its capacity to inform programming and exhibits that tell the untold stories of Indian nations and indigenous cultures residing in New York Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State Park, a $3.9 million public-private partnership, will create a first-in-the-nation trail o Transformative Infrastructure $51 Billion Midtown West Development which will complete the buildout and connectivity of Midtown West from Penn Station to the Hudson River. Included in this will be: Developing the Empire Station Complex: A comprehensive $16 billion project to reconstruct the existing Penn Station and add track capacity by expanding south; taken together, the Moynihan Train Hall, the block south of Penn Station, and the reconstructed Penn Station will nearly double the available space and make traveling easier, safer, more reliable, and more enjoyable 1.2 million square-foot, $1.5 billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Center will be completed in 2021 and increase capacity by 50 percent; Located west of the Javits Center and 36th Street, the State will transform Pier 76 from an NYPD car impound to a 5.6-acre expansion of Hudson River Park;
4 The successful High Line will also be expanded to provide safer and faster pedestrian connectivity from Moynihan Train Hall and the expanded Penn Station to Hudson Yards, the Javits Center, and Hudson River Park; a study will also look at connecting the north end of the highline to Pier 76 The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will replace the outdated terminal with a new state-of-the-art facility to accommodate growing commuter volume and additional inter-city bus operations; Governor s infrastructure proposals will accelerate infrastructure projects already happening including LaGuardia, JFK, Round 2 of Upstate airport revitalization, MTA capital plan, and Long Island Railroad Third Track Proposed budget announced early last week; while yet to be passed by the legislature, and dependent on federal aid, want to mention that tourism was well represented: at $56 million, proposal is nearly level with overall tourism appropriations during pre-COVID years and details on specific expenditures are still to be determined Much in the works not just to build back the tourism industry but build back smarter and stronger than before; we have a highly innovative tourism industry, incredible natural assets, the world s most compelling attractions and support from our governor
V. Developments around Federal Tourism Relief Tori Emerson Barnes Last year has been tough but advocacy and our grassroots efforts resulted in big wins for our industry Will spend majority of time going through COVID-19 Relief Bill from 2020 – what is in it for the industry A. Recent Federal Relief Bill Passed late last year – grateful for Sen. Schumer s leadership to get it done Industry played key role supporting U.S. Travel s advocacy efforts; there is power when speaking with one voice New guidance is coming out often; please check USTA website for relevant links and info Coronavirus Relief Fund: o No new funding or flexibility o Deadline to spend previously appropriated funds extended to December 31, 2021 o If a business or DMO has received CRF funding, they are still eligible to apply for PPP loans o Airports: The bill included $1.75 B in grants for commercial service airports $200 M was allocated for airport concessionaire relief o Airlines: $15B provided to cover worker payroll and benefits up to March 31, 2021 o Buses: $2.5B for passenger transportation services o Transit: $14 B for Transit Infrastructure Grants for prevention, preparation and response to COVID o Amtrak and Highways: $1B for Amtrak $10B for highways Troubled Debt Restructuring: o Continues the suspension of certain accounting and reporting requirements through January 2022 o Makes it easier for financial institutions to modify the terms of commercial loans to accommodate a borrower s economic hardship Main Street Lending Program o Rescinds $429B from CARES Act lending program Miscellaneous Tax Provisions o Business Meal Deduction: allows businesses to fully deduct food and beverage expenses incurred during the normal course of business o Employee Payroll Tax Deferral: extends the time that employers have to pay back their employee s portion of payroll taxes to December 31, 2021 Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) o ERTC is a refundable tax credit - can be claimed against the quarterly-paid employer portion of Social Security taxes o Time for employers to pay back employee s portion extended to December 31, 2021 o Lowers the required revenue decline to be eligible for the credit o ERTC extended through July 1, 2021 o Increases the threshold for employers to be considered “small employers o Allows PPP recipients to claim the ERTC as long as they do not claim the credit for any compensation that was covered by a forgiven PPP loan Live Venue Grant Program 5 o This new program may be of special interest to New York o Eligible entities include: live entertainment venues, performing arts centers, theatrical producers, nonprofit museums, movie theaters and talent representatives o Grant amount based on 45% of employer s gross revenue in 2019, up to $10M o If an entity receives a live venue grant, they are no longer eligible for PPP Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) o Available to any entity experiencing a decline in revenue due to the pandemic o Apply directly with SBA o Ensures that EIDL advances are not treated as gross income for tax purposes o Guarantees the full $10,000 EIDL advance for certain entities o Directs SBA to approve or deny within 21 days of receiving an application o SBA also directed to provide applicants with an explanation if they deny an EIDL Advance Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) o One of our top priorities in 2020 - Extended and enhanced because of our tireless advocacy efforts o DMOs / other nonprofits now have access to PPP loans o Loan application process on our site as well as links to useful government sites o Loan Features: At least 60% of loan forgiveness has to be used on payroll in order to get loan forgiveness Any amount used on nonpayroll expenses in excess of 40% is now eligible for loan forgiveness Any expense paid for with PPP funds can be deducted if typically a deductible expense All loan and guarantee fees are waived o Covered Period: Any period the borrower chooses that is between 8 weeks and 24 weeks after the loan is issued o Loan Forgiveness: Must submit an application to their lender with necessary documentation Loan forgiveness applications must be accepted/denied within 60 days If you make a good-faith effort to rehire employees but are unable to due to any reason, like because of ongoing health and safety restrictions, you will not be penalized B. Biden s First 100 Days, USTA Priorities Have been working with transition team – in a good position starting 2021 Asking for administration to: o Build upon the relief provided by the COVID-19 recovery bill passed in 2020 to extend and expand support for small businesses, protects workers and invests in public health o Enact economic stimulus measures to safely restore travel, meetings and events by establishing a tax credit for leisure and business travel, and providing $10 billion in domestic travel promotion grants to encourage Americans to reconnect with their family, friends and fellow citizens o Ensure health and safety measures allow for a predictable, nationwide framework by establishing a uniform set of health and safety guidelines for state and local governments to follow domestically, implementing testing as an additional layer of safety but not a requirement but as a mechanism to avoid quarantine, accelerate vaccine distribution and provide liability protections o Continue to safely reopen international travel through a science-driven, risk-based approach to COVID-19 testing, lifting travel restrictions including section 212(f) and avoiding quarantines o Create a new Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Assistant Secretary would be tasked with implementing policies to facilitate international travel exports and achieve the national goal of welcoming 116 million international visitors by 2028 o Prioritize the investment in the future of travel mobility and infrastructure. Call for historic federal investments in all modes of travel infrastructure, including airports, highways, passenger rail, and public transit. Target investments toward projects that improve national and regional mobility and facilitate greater travel and tourism C. Where the Industry is at with Recent Executive Orders Recent executive orders have had impact on travel industry: o We support the CDC s inbound testing requirement – will be key to reopening international travel and it adds another important layer of safety. The executive order would allow for flexibility on global scale if needed o We strongly support the president s mask mandate for interstate travel – in line with our guidance o Repeal of the travel ban from certain Muslim-majority countries is the right move but should also pave the way to ease other travel restrictions, including those on the U.K., the E.U., and Brazil in the near term o Some unanswered questions around mandatory quarantine requirements for international travelers make it hard to enforce, unnecessary in light of required testing and the many other protections now in place Look forward to working with the Biden administration to develop realistic and effective risk-based policies D. State of American Travel Industry Address
6 Wednesday, January 27, U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow will deliver the state of the American travel industry address Will cover how we are marching our industry toward new heights guided by our new Power of Travel Policy Platform Encourage you to tune into the live stream – free for all
VI. New Business
Meeting adjourned: 12:14pm
Next meeting: Monday, March 22, 2021
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