Dear Friends,
The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought the group tour industry into unprecedented territory. Schenectady County has been impacted by restrictions on mass gatherings, group tour cancellations, and recent closures and postponed events at many of our key attractions, including all restaurants in our diverse dining scene, Rivers Casino & Resort, Proctors Theatre, and The Schenectady County Historical Society.
We understand why industry leaders had to make these hard decisions; the safety of our community is our utmost concern, but the negative impact that this has on the group travel industry hurts.
We wanted to connect today to say that we are with you through these uncertain times and will be a continued resource once a path forward becomes clear.
Until that time comes, here is what we can do together:
Take Action: the Discover Schenectady team has been following the recommendations and support provided by the American Bus Association (ABA). We urge each of you to heed their advice: ABA’s website states “Every member of Congress, House of Representatives and Senate, needs to hear your voice and how you and your company have been impacted.” They then go on to provide a template letter that you can use to email your Representatives, as well as contact details for your Representatives and Senators. The association goes on to discuss a variety of topics surrounding these times. For complete information, please visit ABA’s website focusing on Coronavirus: Facts not Fears.
Plan: if you are able, plan for the future. Planning is in our nature; it is what we do. As you look toward the future and respective plans begin to come together, please allow us to help you virtually! The Discover Schenectady team has established 360° views of our hotels. Simply click on the hotel you would like to know more about and select the 360° video option.
Allow Schenectady to be your destination for the future! Tap us now to help create future itineraries to help support our businesses who are hurting because of the current economic climate!
Our doors will be open for business again as soon as we are able; help us to rebuild our tourism community as we help you to rebuild your business! We are in this together!
Support: Act & Ask!
If local, please consider ordering a meal and/or an adult beverage for takeout or delivery, from one of our many restaurants and breweries offering this service.
If you are not local, consider shopping online to support our local retailers and restaurants! Give as a gift or use for yourself in the future!
If you need support, share with us the information! We are happy to support our fellow industry peers during these times.
These small, yet meaningful steps will help give back to our hospitality colleagues and friends during these times.
Stay informed: for your tours scheduled for the late spring, summer, fall, and winter we encourage you to stay up to date via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines for Mass Gatherings and talk to your hotel, attraction, and CVB partners before making any final decisions.
Continue to follow information and directives coming from the U.S. Travel Association, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and The White House.
With the quickly-evolving information coming in about how our nation, state and county are working to combat the spread of COVID19, we are working hard to make sure we can help you stay informed with accurate and up to date information. We are keeping our community informed through our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn), newsletters, and our current Coronavirus page.
Discover Schenectady has a contagious passion for our community and are here to help where needed. Please do not hesitate to reach out to one of our staff if you should have any questions, concerns, or needs.
Be well,
Becky Daniels and the Discover Schenectady Team