The Cayuga County Office of Tourism is hosting two workshops, designed for business owners in the tourism industry, to understand social media and how it can be used as a marketing tool.  "Social Media Workshop I" will be held April 22nd and "Social Media Workshop II for Business Success" will be held May 6th from 3-6 p.m. at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES.  The workshop leader, Sally Berry, is tourism professional with over a decade of experience in various facets of the travel and tourism industry including working for the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance and consulting for the NYS Division of Tourism.  Space is limited.  Call the Tourism Office, 315-255-1658, for a registration form.

In honor of Historic Preservation Month and National Tourism Week, Auburn's Historic & Cultural Sites Commission will hold a "State of the Sites" night on May 12th at Willard Memorial Chapel from 5-7 p.m.  The theme of the evening will be the economic impact of arts and culture on our community.  The Commission will also be presenting City Manager, Mark Palesh with an award for his work to create and support the Auburn's Founder's Day event.  A wine and cheese reception will follow the presentation.  This event is free and open to the public.  Please come and hear about all the great things our historic and cultural sites are doing!

2009 was a challenging year for tourism, but the Cayuga County Office of Tourism continued to develop and implement promotional programs to bring visitors to our area.  Our Annual Report is a snapshot of our programs and services as well as the latest local tourism statistics and trends. We hope you will take a moment to review the report and familiarize yourself with our initiatives.  The report can be accessed on-line by going to the 'Partners' page on tourcayuga.com or you can call the Tourism Office at 255-1658 and we will be happy to send you a hard copy.

Cayuga County along with 10 other Finger Lakes counties have banded together and hired Quinn & Co., a New York City public relations firm to represent the region.  Quinn & Co. is a major tourism/travel public relations firm and is responsible for one of the industry's greatest successes ever, "The Best Job in the World," Australian tourism promotion.  We are looking forward to raising the profile of Cayuga County and the Finger Lakes Region through Quinn & Co.'s expertise and invaluable connections. Stay tuned for more...

Did you know that Cayuga County now has nine wineries?  Meet the winemakers, tour the vineyards, take part in special events and taste award-winning wines right here in Cayuga County. Click here for the Cayuga County wine tour itinerary.

Travelers of Routes 5 and 20 have a new resource at their fingertips - a blog called "Dashboard Diaries."  "Dashboard Diaries "takes a fresh look at some of the unique eateries, activities, scenic spots and shops that stud the highway between Skaneateles and Batavia.  The new blog lives online at Routes5and20.com.  If you have a business along Routes 5 and 20, we encourage you to blog about it on "Dashboard Diaries."

• Congratulations to 10 Fitch B&B for having their package selected by "Wheel of Fortune" as a prize on their April 6th show!
• Gas Drilling & Marcellus Shale Educational Forum, April 29th
• The Cayuga County Legislature Planning & Education Committee is sponsoring a public information forum on gas drilling on Thursday, April 29th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Irene Bisgrove Theater at Cayuga Community College. 
• National Travel & Tourism Week is May 8-16, 2010. This is a great time to champion the great impact of travel in our communities!