The Partial Observer by Cass Martin Majestic

Destination Marketing Corp. Reaffirms Commitment To Drive Tourism Throughout County

If you live in or near Otsego County, you already know what this time of year means. The visitors are coming—and with them, the economic activity that supports local businesses, funds essential public services, and keeps our communities vibrant from Cooperstown to Oneonta, Cherry Valley to Unadilla, and every town in between.

Tourism isn’t just a major local industry, it’s a catalyst that moves much of Otsego County’s economy. Visitor spending ripples well beyond hotels and restaurants, reaching retailers, service providers, and small businesses across the county and throughout the region. And when destination marketing works, it does double duty: preserving what makes this place worth visiting in the first place, while generating the tax revenue that funds the public services residents depend on every day.

The 2026 tourism season is almost here, and Destination Marketing Corp. for Otsego County is ready. As the county’s officially designated non-profit tourism promotion agency, DMC works year-round to bring visitors to Otsego County supporting local businesses, attracting new investment, and working to enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls this place home.

Destination promotion is truly a catalyst for our entire community’s vitality. While our foundational activity is attracting visitors, that single visit sets off a powerful chain reaction. When we build a place where people want to visit, we are simultaneously building a place where people want to live, work and invest. This virtuous cycle doesn’t just benefit tourism—it improves the quality of life for all our residents, supports essential government services through tax revenue, and builds a broad, stable economic base for every corner of Otsego County.

Destination Marketing Corp.’s Commitment to Otsego County

As the busy tourism season kicks off, DMC extends a warm hello to all our tourism partners. Contracted by Otsego County to serve as its official tourism promotion agency, our mission is simple: promote and market the entirety of Otsego County—from rolling hills to historic villages—to encourage visitation and drive economic impact across all our communities.

While Cooperstown is a major global draw, DMC’s contract mandates the promotion of all Otsego County as a world-class visitor destination. To do that effectively, DMC manages the “I Love NY” matching funds program and partners with regional organizations to keep Otsego County a premier destination for leisure travel, meetings, and conventions.

DMC manages two digital platforms to ensure every business has a voice in that effort. ThisIsCooperstown.com serves as the primary visitor-facing portal, inspiring travelers to book overnight stays and explore the dining, attractions, and recreation options available throughout the county. WeGoOtsego.com is a resident-focused companion, designed to cultivate local pride and keep community members informed and support local tourism by connecting residents to the businesses, events, and visitor activity that make Otsego County a great place to live. Among its most-used features is the Changeover Hub, which gives residents a heads-up on incoming “changeover days” for the youth baseball camps—because knowing when new visitors are arriving is useful, whether you’re running a business or commuting within the county. Both platforms feature regional event calendars that local businesses are encouraged to use—whether to promote their own events or to help frontline staff point guests toward what’s happening across the county.

In the spirit of collaboration, DMC extends an open invitation to all businesses with brochure displays to attend any or all of this year’s Annual Brochure Exchanges. These events are vital for networking and ensuring our collective marketing materials are in the hands of our visitors. By facilitating the direct hand-off of materials between partners, these exchanges also reduce our collective environmental impact by significantly saving on the fuel and packaging associated with shipping and individual deliveries.

• Hanford Mills Museum: Tuesday, May 5 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
• Iroquois Museum: Tuesday, May 12 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
• Brewery Ommegang: Thursday, May 14 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Registration opens April 15 at //ThisisCooperstown.com/Partners/Brochure-Exchange.

DMC also encourages all tourism-related businesses to review their current listings on ThisIsCooperstown.com to ensure everything is accurate. AI tools now routinely pull from websites to make travel recommendations, making precise digital information more important than ever. To request updates or additions, please contact the DMC office at info@thisiscooperstown.com or by calling (607) 322-4046.

The Destination Marketing Corporation for Otsego and Schoharie Counties was established in 2014 as a not-for-profit 501c6. By contract with Otsego and Schoharie counties, the DMC has been designated the Tourism Promotion Agency under the New York State Tourism Matching Funds Program. The DMC is funded by a portion of the occupancy tax revenues collected in contract with Otsego and Schoharie counties; cooperative marketing investments with tourism partners; and annual grants from the New York State Division of Tourism/Matching Funds Program.

Cass Martin Majestic is the president and chief executive officer of Destination Marketing Corporation for Otsego and Schoharie Counties.