I think a common mistake here in the UK travel industry is that we focus on selling New York City as the destination and we should be focusing on New York as a State not a City. After attending each of the training sessions at the New York State Takeover event I’ve realised that there truly is something for everyone here from the beaches of Long Island to the scenery & outdoor activities of the Catskill mountains and the family-friendly activities on offer too, it has really opened my eyes.

My top tip for agents would be when they have a NYC city break inquiry, suggest an extension, and focus on all this amazing state has to offer.

After attending each of the training sessions at the New York State Takeover event I was surprised at how many family-friendly activities there are such as LEGOLAND, indoor waterparks and kids museums, I would suggest New York State as a destination for families as well as couples or groups of friends.

I would recommend checking out the beaches of Long Island and of course, Niagara Falls is well worth a visit too, a boat ride at the falls and getting some awesome pictures here was a personal highlight of mine that I’ll never forget.

I would recommend to my clients to get out of New York City and explore the wider state by train, it really is more accessible than people think, and each region offers a completely different experience, I personally love the Catskills and of course I love the wineries too.

A highlight from the New York Takeover Event for me was learning about the region of Syracuse, there is so much to do there, a real hidden gem! I also enjoyed learning about the immersive experience at the National Comedy Center, I’ll be sure to tell my clients to add it to their list when they visit.