“New York State Division of Tourism Appoints Wiechmann Tourism Service as New German Market Representative for PR, Sales, and Marketing”

For many years, Robert Keysselitz’ agency Circle Solution held up the flag for New York State in Germany. When a new tender for the budget was due, Veronika Bulowski, who represents the New York association Wine, Water & Wonders in this country with Above & Beyond Consulting, was the favorite for the successor. But the Albany headquarters of the New York State Division of Tourism decided otherwise.

Tour operators and travel agencies in focus

The new representative office for Germany, Austria and Switzerland is well established in the industry: Wiechmann Tourism Service (WTS) has represented well-known USA customers in Germany for decades – currently Atlantic City, Chicago, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Orleans and Philadelphia. As account manager for New York State, Managing Director Deborah Theis will be the point of contact for tour operators and travel agencies.

“Germany, Austria and Switzerland are key markets for our tourism business, and we attach great importance to working closely with specialist tour operators and travel agencies, as this is crucial for increasing visitor numbers from abroad,” says Ross Levi, Executive Director & Vice President of the New York State Division of Tourism.

More than “just” New York City

WTS’ mission is to spread awareness of the state beyond the Big Apple. “When international travelers hear ‘New York’, the first things that often come to mind are skyscrapers, city lights, Broadway shows and the Statue of Liberty,” Levi said . “But our other regions also offer rich culture and history, stunning scenery and endless year-round opportunities to explore the great outdoors.”

Strong interest in the German market

The appointment of WTS is not the only recent reassignment. Recently, Los Angeles had selected Lieb Management, Denver hired Get It Across agency, Louisville, Kentucky appointed Kaus Media Services to represent them, and Amelia Island, Florida and Arkansas (on a project basis) secured the services of Travel Marketing Romberg.

More on this

Overall, interest in the German source market is increasing significantly on the US side. This is also reflected in the membership figures of the local Visit USA Committee: The association now has more than 130 members – significantly more than the previous high of 118 in the pre-Corona year 2019.