Sabrina Flores
Communications
Discover Albany
sabrina@relentlessaware.com
518.813.4905

APRIL 23, 2020

HOTEL WORKERS ACROSS NEW YORK STATE TO RECEIVE $10,000 WORTH OF FACE MASKS FROM NEW YORK STATE HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION

NYSH&TA makes contribution after governor orders all essential workers to wear masks

ALBANY, N.Y. (APRIL 23, 2020) – The New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA) Education Foundation has purchased $10,000 worth of protective face masks to distribute to essential workers in tourism across New York. Teaming up with 16 different Convention & Visitors Bureaus throughout the state, over 9,000 masks have begun being distributed to each respective tourism community as of yesterday.

The NYSH&TA’s decision came shortly after Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s order for all people to wear face coverings when out in public. Discover Albany is one of the partnering bureaus, distributing face masks to Albany’s essentials workers in hotels.

“In this time of need, NYSH&TA’s Education Foundation is proud to stand side-by-side with its regional tourism partners to support the industry in any way possible. We understand the need for proper protection for essential employees in the hospitality and tourism community and strive to ensure the safety of these workers,” said Mark Dorr, NYSH&TA President.

“Discover Albany is grateful to the Board of Directors and leadership of NYSH&TA for making this generous donation of masks, and for giving our organization the opportunity to support our hotel partners in the process. As essential businesses, hotel staff are supporting those other businesses who need to continue their vital work by providing safe and comfortable lodging, and as such, we are happy to be able to offer another level of protection to them,” said Jill Delaney, president & CEO of Discover Albany.

The New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association, the oldest state lodging association in the country, states that their mission is to lead and protect the New York State hospitality and tourism industry by providing advocacy, education, and resources. The association accounts for over 1,100 members from nearly all segments of the tourism industry including hotels, motels, resorts, conference centers, country inns, bed & breakfast establishments, reservation service organizations, amusement parks, attractions, museums, ski areas, recreational facilities, historical sites, convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, colleges and universities, hospitality students and suppliers to the industry.

For more information on NYSH&TA, visit nyshta.org.

For more on Discover Albany, visit albany.org

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About Discover Albany. The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. was established in 1976 to promote the civic and commercial progress of the community through increased development of conventions and tourism. Today, the organization is known as Discover Albany. Discover Albany currently represents more than 300 member businesses and assists each year in hundreds of regional meetings. Discover Albany also operates the Discover Albany Visitors Center, Henry Hudson Planetarium, and the Albany International Airport Information Center.  The Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau Foundation was established in 1993 to provide educational opportunities and work with other organizations to secure grants and funding to advance regional travel and tourism projects.  For more information, call 518-434-1217 or 800-258-3582 or visit www.albany.org.