NOT WINTER Visitors Guide

The newly printed seasonal Visitors Guide gives Syracuse two seasons, introduces new features and is in demand!

Syracuse, NY (April 13, 2017) - What do you call the Syracuse seasons outside of winter? NOT WINTER. The joke around

town has always been that Syracuse has two distinct seasons: WINTER and NOT WINTER. Now, the destination marketing organization (DMO) is marketing it that way in the seasonal Visitors Guide; which is hot off the press.

“We decided to share the inside joke with visitors and refer to the seasons as we really see them – Winter and Not Winter,” said Visit Syracuse Communications Director Nikita Jankowski. “Winter has such a major presence in Central New York that we celebrate winter and we celebrate the fact that it’s not winter, just as hard.”

The first edition of the NOT WINTER visitors guide combines spring, summer and fall; sharing where to stay, eat, shop, play and DO YOUR THING in Syracuse and Central New York. Visit Syracuse implemented new changes in the guide to make it more effective as a marketing tool. Here is a list of some of the changes:

1. TWO ANNUAL GUIDES: Previously, Visit Syracuse produced a guide four times a year, for all four seasons. Starting this year, it will be printed twice a year, with two seasonal editions: NOT WINTER (April – October) and WINTER (November – March). Most destinations only print a guide once a year.
2. COVER - REAL STORIES: The covers feature people DOing their THING. Visit Syracuse now chooses cover photos from social media. The photos display real people living the DO YOUR THING brand in Syracuse and Central New York. So no staged or artificial smiles here - the cover is as genuine as the experiences (after receiving permission, of course). Information about the cover and the people on it can be found on the Table of Contents page (page 3). The NOT WINTER 2017 version shows Instagramer @Geoff_s2, Geoff Sincavage of Syracuse, at Carpenter’s Falls, located just outside the Village of Skaneateles. Those interested in having their photos considered as a future cover, just need to tag Visit Syracuse on social media posts or include the hashtag: #sharecuse.
3. LESS LISTINGS: The guide will feature less listings. Instead, it highlights some of the top festivals the destination is known for, including (but not limited to) the New York State Fair, Syracuse Jazz Fest, and Festa Italiano. This region is growing and so is the tourism product, therefore extensive lists (Dining, General Events) were removed. Some unique listings will remain but the visitors guide will refer readers to visit www.visitsyracuse.com for complete listings.
4. FEATURES: People love stories! We know our local stories. It’s time to share them with our guests. Food features and unique historical information are included (Chocolate Pizza Company, World Canals Conference and more).

The 100-page Syracuse Visitors Guide is shared with thousands of meeting/event planners and their attendees, tour operators, travel journalists and potential travelers around the world, via international travel shows, media marketplaces and sales missions, attended by Visit Syracuse staff and ambassadors. Travel journalists utilize the guide as a reference tool for story ideas, and thousands of leisure travelers request to have a copy mailed to them across the country. In fact, in 2016, the requests for the Syracuse Visitors Guides increased by almost 50 percent!

WHERE CAN YOU FIND THEM?

Over 240,000 copies are distributed annually to area lodgings, attractions and a variety of businesses. They are also sent throughout the Northeastern United States and Canada.

To receive copies, you can make a request on the Visit Syracuse website, call (315) 470-1800, or pick them up at one of the locations below:

• Visit Syracuse, Inc. – 115 West Fayette St, Syracuse
• Area hotels, motels/inns, campgrounds
• Hospitals
• College & universities
• Regional Visitor Centers (including the Preble rest stop on I-81 - south of Syracuse in the northbound lane)
• Most large local attractions:
• Destiny USA (Guest Services desks)
• The MOST
• Erie Canal Museum
• Airport

 The Visit Syracuse Visitors Guide is published in partnership with the Post Standard.  

For more information, contact Visit Syracuse Communications Director Nikita Jankowski at 315-706-4443, njankowski@vistsyracuse.com.

CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION OF PRESS RELEASE
CLICK HERE FOR DIGITAL VERSION OF THE VISITORS GUIDE

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About Visit Syracuse
Visit Syracuse, Inc. is Onondaga County's official marketing organization for tourism related economic development; leading the production of over $850 million in direct visitor spending annually. The organization aims to strengthen the positive awareness of the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County as a convention and visitor destination; to increase revenues and stimulate economic development and growth for the community.

Nikita Jankowski
Communications Director
315.470.1903 direct line
315.706.4443 mobile