LIBERTY, NY — The New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) has named Sullivan County Visitors  Association/Sullivan County’s Tourism Grant Program a recipient of its 2026 New York State Tourism Excellence  Award, Transformational Tourism Stewardship: Tourism Advocacy category. It is the only award of its kind given to  a destination marketing organization in New York State this year, and Sullivan County is the only county in New  York running a grant program of this scale through its Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) / Tourism  Promotion Agency (TPA). 

At SCVA's request, the award is credited to the Sullivan Catskills on behalf of the County of Sullivan. The  Sullivan County Legislature originally approved the program and allocated lodging tax revenue for the program. SCVA stewards it.  County staff also helped shape the program from day one, and their work behind the scenes made this recognition  possible. 

“We are grateful to the legislature and share its commitment to community,” said Michael Martelon, President and  CEO of SCVA. “We think the program is an exceptional asset for the county and look forward to working with both  staff and the legislature to evolve the program and its demonstrable benefits.” 

SCVA and Sullivan County leadership will be recognized in person on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Corning  Museum of Glass, as part of the 2026 New York State Tourism Excellence Summit. Martelon has also been invited  to present a general session keynote address on the grant program's design and results. 

The grant program is one piece of a broader transformation across Sullivan County's visitor economy, which  surpassed $1 billion in total impact in 2024. That momentum includes the debut of the county's destination guide  and growing editorial platform, here; a destination re-brand; a rebuilt SullivanCatskills.com; and the creation of a  new fleet of mobile visitor centers reaching communities countywide. Each initiative is funded the same way,  through lodging tax revenue paid by overnight visitors and reinvested directly into the places and people who  make the region worth visiting.