The first winner of the Ulster County Getaway Contest, Faisal Hafeez, will enjoy a weekend trip to Honors Haven Resort & Spa in Ellenville, NY.
Kingston, NY -- Just as the summer tourism season gets underway, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein announces that the county’s tourism economic indicators are pointing in an upward direction. According to figures supplied by the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association, Newburgh-Kingston area hotel and motel occupancy is up 13.4% between January through May 2010 from the same period last year.
"We are seeing our commitment to promote Ulster County as a premier four-season destination pay off," said County Executive Hein. "We understand that our tourists come from the NYC metro area and we are working hard to attract them. In winter 2009, we placed advertisements inside the subway train running between Grand Central Station and Times Square that emphasized the magnificent places Ulster County has to visit and vacation."
Ulster County’s marketing campaign will continue for the summer tourism season. Ulster County is currently running a highly effective radio promotion on 1010 WINS in New York. Each time the ad runs, Ulster County Tourism immediately receives dozens of email entries to an on-line contest where participants are eligible to win a two-night stay at one of 19 different Ulster County lodging facilities.
Since the start of the contest on June 14, 2010, nearly 1,000 people have entered to win one of the Ulster County getaways. The first winner, Faisal Hafeez of Westbury, New York, won a two-night getaway to Honors Haven Resort & Spa ( www.honorshaven.com ) in Ellenville, NY. "My wife and I are just so pleased to have been chosen as winners," said Hafeez, upon notification from the Ulster County Tourism Department. "I heard about the contest while listening to the radio on my way into work in lower Manhattan. Once I was told what I won, my wife and I went on Honors Haven’s website and we are thrilled to be going to such a beautiful place for two days."
According to Ulster County Tourism Director Richard J. Remsnyder, hits to www.UlsterCountyAlive.com are up 26% in the month of June. "As part of our advertising contract with 1010 WINS, the Ulster County Tourism Department was invited to the 1010 WINS/WCBS Radio Expo at Yankee Stadium last weekend. Radio-listeners greeted us by repeating the lines from our ad to us – it was great! An audio file of the ad can be heard at ulstercountyny.gov/resources/tourism.html.
"We continue to be impressed with the changes Ulster County Tourism has made; with the expanded arsenal of innovative marketing concepts implemented and increased involvement within the local tourism industry," said Byung Gun Oh, Assistant General Manager of Honor's Haven Resort & Spa.
Ulster County’s advertising campaign and the online getaway giveaway will continue through July. Additionally, a television ad which is currently in production will begin to air on Good Morning America, Kelly & Regis, Rachel Ray and The View at the end of July.
Tourism is a $474 million business and the No. 1 industry in Ulster County. Ulster County’s tourism industry’s labor income generates more than $233 million dollars a year which translates into more than 8000 jobs.
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