Destination Westchester

Destination Westchester
Name	Destination Westchester
Formation	1992
Type	Nonprofit tourism promotion
Headquarters	White Plains, New York
Region served	Westchester County, New York
Leader title	President & CEO
Leader name	Pam Iovino

Destination Westchester is a countywide nonprofit tourism promotion agency based in White Plains, New York, serving Westchester County and promoting travel to municipalities, cultural institutions, historic sites, and performing arts venues. The organization works with local municipalities, state agencies, regional transportation authorities, and private sector partners to attract visitors, support conventions, and develop cultural programming in suburban communities and urban centers across the county.

Overview

Destination Westchester operates as a convention and visitors bureau focused on increasing hospitality receipts, supporting museums, boosting hotel occupancy, and enhancing cultural tourism across Westchester County, New York. It collaborates with county offices, municipal offices in Yonkers, New Rochelle, White Plains, and Mount Vernon, regional bodies such as the New York State Division of Tourism, and transportation entities like Metro-North Railroad, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Westchester County Airport. The organization promotes attractions including the Hudson River Museum, Kykuit, Lyndhurst Mansion, and Playland Amusement Park while coordinating with arts organizations such as the Westchester Arts Council, Lincoln Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History

Founded in 1992, the bureau emerged amid regional tourism initiatives involving the New York State Department of Economic Development, the Westchester County Office of Economic Development, and local chambers of commerce including the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce and the White Plains BID. Early partnerships linked Destination Westchester to the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Rockefeller family estates, and historic preservation groups involved with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Historic Hudson Valley, and the Preservation League of New York State. Over decades the agency has adapted to shifts driven by events such as the September 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic while aligning strategies with Visit New York and I Love NY campaigns, hospitality trade associations like the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and conference organizers from the Society for American Travel Writers.

Governance and Funding

Destination Westchester is governed by a board of directors comprising representatives from municipal governments, hotel associations, cultural institutions, and corporate partners including healthcare systems like Montefiore and White Plains Hospital, academic institutions such as Pace University and Fordham University, and financial institutions like Bank of America and M&T Bank. Funding sources combine municipal allocations from the Westchester County budget, grant awards from the New York State Council on the Arts, sponsorships from corporations including PepsiCo and Gannett, cooperative advertising funds with Visit Westchester stakeholders, and contributions from member hotels and restaurants organized through the Westchester Hotel Association and the Westchester Restaurant Association.

Programs and Services

Programs include convention marketing targeting associations such as the American Society of Association Executives, meeting planners from the Professional Convention Management Association, and sports event organizers from USA Track & Field. Visitor services encompass travel trade outreach with Tour Operators such as Trafalgar and Globus, digital marketing campaigns across platforms including Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and consumer-facing promotions tied to seasonal events like Hudson River Valley Ramble, Open House New York, and the Westchester County Film Festival. Educational services coordinate with institutions like the New-York Historical Society, the Hudson River Museum, and the Westchester Children's Museum for school group tours and curriculum-linked visits.

Marketing and Economic Impact

Marketing efforts leverage partnerships with media outlets such as The Journal News, The New York Times, CNN, and Travel + Leisure to increase regional visibility and to drive hotel room nights at properties affiliated with Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG. Economic impact studies coordinated with research partners including Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Rockefeller Institute of Government, and Tourism Economics quantify visitor spending, tax receipts, and job creation in hospitality, retail, and cultural sectors. Campaigns tie into larger metropolitan initiatives involving the Port Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the New York State Department of Transportation to position Westchester as a short-stay destination for visitors from New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and international markets served through John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

Partnerships and Community Engagement

Destination Westchester maintains alliances with nonprofit cultural organizations including the Tarrytown Music Hall, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Jacob Burns Film Center, and the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, as well as with civic organizations like Rotary International chapters, local chambers of commerce, and workforce development programs affiliated with the Westchester County Center and the Business Council of Westchester. Community engagement includes joint programming with park agencies such as the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the National Park Service at the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, and county parks departments to promote outdoor recreation at Croton Gorge Park, Kensico Reservoir, and the Bronx River Parkway corridor.

Facilities and Attractions Supported

The bureau supports a wide array of sites and venues including Playland Amusement Park, Lyndhurst Mansion, Kykuit (the John D. Rockefeller estate), the Hudson River Museum, Untermyer Gardens, the Neuberger Museum of Art, the Westchester County Center, the Bronx River Arts Center, and diverse performing arts venues like the White Plains Performing Arts Center, Capitol Theatre (Peekskill), and the Emelin Theatre. It also promotes historic downtowns such as Irvington, Hastings-on-Hudson, Ossining, and New Rochelle, culinary destinations in Scarsdale and Mount Vernon, and outdoor destinations along the Hudson River and Bronx River greenways.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York