Tourism Ready
This free educational program will help you to harness the power of tourism to grow your business.
The travel trade, which includes travel sellers, bundlers and event planners, seek out unique and authentic NYC experiences to offer their clients. Tourism Ready 101 gives local businesses a better understanding of the power of the travel trade, as well as tools for working with this valuable sector to secure advanced bookings and repeat business. The program provides an overview of the industry and will prepare you to engage with the trade, identify relevant tourism audiences, outreach to industry players and leverage promotional opportunities. The program consists of 12 one hour sessions that take place throughout the year. Ten are virtual and two are in-person.
Below is the course schedule. To learn more or to be added to the registration list contact Reagan Stulbaum at
What is the travel trade?
Travel trade refers to third party travel sellers, packagers and event planners. These B2B business can be a key source of business for NYC tourism products as they allow you the freedom to operate your business while they promote you globally.
This program will guide you through the steps to effectively work with the travel trade and help you identify methods to engage with these resellers to promote your business or neighborhood.
Get your business tourism ready
Create sellable products/services to be sold by the travel trade in advance of visitors arriving
Price your products and services with tiered net pricing
Create a travel trade one-pager/business profile
Develop relevant operational resources
Begin to promote and market your business
Build your database and relationships along the way
Develop partnerships and collaborate in itinerary building
Develop a complimentary site inspection and group FAM tour policy
Develop your media outreach
Tips for success:
Make a strategic commitment to look at working with the travel trade as a growth aspect of your business.
Attend all sessions. They are consecutive in nature.
Ask lots of questions. There is no wrong question.
Promote your neighborhood and destination first, then your business.
Have a staff member who is available to develop relationships with the trade. Relationships are critical to your success.
Class Schedule
Sessions are virtual unless otherwise noted.
February 23, 10–11am
Session 1: Introduction to NYC & Company and Tourism Ready 101
Hear the most recent NYC Tourism updates and visitor numbers; learn how New York City Tourism + Conventions works to bring more visitors to New York City; and explore how Tourism Ready 101 will help you bring these visitors to your door.
March 16, 10–11am
Session 2: Marketing, Social Media, and Public Relations with a Tourism Lens
NYC Tourism + Conventions leaders in marketing, social media and public relations discuss strategies for attracting visitors.
April 13, 10–11am
Session 3: Introduction to the Travel Trade
What is the travel trade? How can building partnerships increase your tourism business and how do you start the process? Travel trade brings repeat business that is booked in advance and can lead to growth in new markets you more than likely would not be reaching on your own.
May 31, 10–11am
Session 4: Travel Trade Deep Dive
The travel trade network has a buy-and-sell method where visitors find their way to you via the network. Our session breaks it down so you can plan your approach and invest wisely. We look at company types, their selling methods, and how to qualify travel trade businesses placing them appropriately within the distribution channel to serve your business.
June 21, 10am–noon — in person
Session 5: Business Profile Workshop
Working with the travel trade is a powerful decision in growing your business. Creating a business profile specific to the needs of this audience is an essential tool and resource. We walk you through step by step as you begin to create this key document.
July 12, 10–11am
Session 6: Product Development
Determine where your business’ best fit is to develop your FIT, group and DMC/MICE products and services to ensure they are placed, positioned and priced best for you.
August 3, 10–11am
Session 7: Pricing
Tiered net pricing is a necessary component to working with the travel trade. This session looks at why this is important and how to develop an appropriate pricing structure, also taking into consideration factors such as time of week, seasonality, off peak vs. peak, product types, high demand pricing, etc.
September 20, 10–11am
Session 8: Operational Development
Understand the operational nuances and systems in selling FIT, group and DMC products for an easy flow in receiving new business and markets from the travel trade.
October 11, 10–11am
Session 9: Online Travel Agent (OTA) Panel
Hear from a panel of online travel agents and learn directly from the source how make the most out of your business listings and effectively sell your products.
November 2
Session 10: Specialty Breakouts
10–11am: Dining Every visitor must eat, and the travel trade is "hungry" for restaurants that know their needs and understand how to work with them. Join us as we discuss these dining specific details.
12–1pm: Accommodations Accommodations often have their own set of guidelines for working with the travel trade, particularly when it comes to pricing. This session will look at some of the unique challenges hotels face and some ways to address them.
2–3pm: Tours/Activities/Attractions: Technology and Connectivity Guest speaker Douglas Quinby, co-founder and CEO of Arival, joins us to discuss best practices for connectivity with technologies such as booking systems, APIs and channel management.
November 21, 10am–noon — in person
Session 11: Mock Sales Session with the Travel Trade (Operator Speaker Panel)
This mock sales presentation session with travel trade buyers is a favorite where several participants present to the travel trade with a follow up discussion from which the entire audience can learn. You must have completed an approved business profile and have tiered net rates for the travel trade to be considered as a mock presenter.
December 13, 10–11am
Session 12: Review of All You Have Experienced - Time to Activate
Come prepared to join the discussion and ask your questions. We will talk about how to sell to this new audience. In addition, we will provide marketing opportunities and where to find travel trade and resources to assist you in your promotional decision-making.
Requirements and Considerations
All participants must:
Work directly for the organization they are representing; third-party consultants are not eligible to participate.
Be able to offer the travel trade a direct-to-consumer tourism product, e.g., accommodations, dining, tour, attraction, etc.
Companies that provide tourism resources, guidebooks and other publications, aggregated tourism product, etc., are not eligible to participate.
Get in Touch
Reach out to a membership representative to ask questions, share feedback or just say hello. We’d love to hear from you.
