Why Join?

Here are the facts:

• In 2024, New York State welcomed a record 306.3 million visitors, with the Hudson Valley region contributing significantly to this total. (Source: I Love NY).

• Since 2022, Ulster and Orange Counties have seen a substantial increase in visitor spending, indicating an ever-growing robust tourism sector. (Source: New York State Tourism Industry Association).

• Since 2022, The Hudson Valley region has experienced substantial tourism activity, with visitors spending approximately $4.635 billion, surpassing the previous high in 2019. (Source: Chronogram Magazine).

This spending was distributed across various sectors as follows:

• Lodging/Accommodations: $572 million
• Food & Beverage: $214 million
• Retail Goods and Services: $121 million
• Local Transportation: $36 million
• Recreation/Entertainment: $20 million
• Vacation Property/Second Homes: $70 million (Source: New York State Tourism Industry Association)

Here’s how we connect your business to our visitors.

• Referrals and recommendations: Our main office frequently receives customer inquiries regarding local transportation, lodging, restaurants, and attractions as visitors plan their trips. As an official tourism partner, we can directly connect your business with these customer inquiries by providing referrals and recommendations. PLUS, the following added benefits.

• Listed on our website: The Shawangunk Wine Trail website receives over 100,000 visits annually. Most of these visitors navigate to the pages highlighting our tourism partners, which are organized by categories in lodging, transportation services, u-pick farms, and the area’s unique attractions. (Source: 2024 Google Analytics – ShawangunkWineTrail.com)

• Advertising campaigns that direct customers to our website: In 2025, the SWT will advertise on radio stations WDST, and WKZE, be seen in printed display ads, and online ads including social media, and email blasts with Visit Vortex, Chronogram, Hudson Valley Wine Magazine, and the Ulster and Orange County Travel Guides which are not only distributed at interstate visitor centers, but also distributed at high profile travel shows in NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

• Social Media Presence: Between Facebook, Instagram, X, and our monthly opt-in E-News subscribers we reach over 30,500 followers.

• Listed in the SWT Brochure: Our newly formatted SWT brochure includes a directory of our member wineries, our tourism partners, and a map. We will produce over 120,000 brochures this year and distribute them to over 600 high-profile locations all over New York and NYC Metro areas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Our brochure is picked up at interstate visitor centers, cultural attractions, upscale hotels and lodging properties, travel agencies, Amtrak and Metro-North train stations, AAA offices, shopping malls and outlet centers, state government facilities, all SWT wineries, and everywhere in between, giving this powerful marketing piece incredible value!