Business owners tout Long Island's virtues in new tourism campaign

The owners of six businesses on Long Island talk about what the region has to offer to visitors in a new advertising campaign from the tourism promotion agency Discover Long Island.

"Having our local businesses say why they love Long Island and have them tell the story [of the region] to our visitors is so much more impactful than Discover Long Island telling the story," Kristen Reynolds, the tourism agency's president and CEO, said on Wednesday. "This pulls back the curtain on the character and diversity of our destination."

In one three-minute video, Indu Kaur, co-owner of the restaurant Curry Club at SaGhar in Port Jefferson, recommends taking in a show at Stony Brook University's Staller Center for the Arts and walking on the beach.

Lisa and Fred Giachetti, owners of Del Vino Vineyards in Northport and Riverhead, tout the customer service of downtown businesses in their video. DJ Chef, owner of the Long Beach-based entertainment company, The Chef That Rocks, suggests spending some summer days on the East End.

The videos are the latest phase of Discover Long Island’s “Where You BeLONG” campaign, which first debuted in 2018.

The launch of the "You BeLong" videos coincides with Discover Long Island competing with others for a new contract to promote Nassau County. The old three-year contract ended on Dec. 31.  

"We are hopeful that we will remain a partner of the county," Reynolds said after unveiling the video series at the Long Island Welcome Center off the LIE in Dix Hills.

Later on Wednesday, Christopher Boyle, a spokesman for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, said "a decision on the tourism promotion contract is expected to be made shortly."

Discover Long Island and its predecessor were established decades ago by the counties to promote the region to visitors from near and far. The agency has received $1 million from Nassau and $2 million from Suffolk annually from the hotel/motel tax, said Reynolds, adding that $182,000 from Suffolk was used for the new videos.

The videos will appear on Facebook, TikTok and Google Display through Aug. 31, as well as on the Discover Long Island website and YouTube channel. Small business owners wishing to be considered for the next round of videos can contact  the agency via its Instagram page, officials said.

The other businesses with videos are Greenport chalk artist and book author Kara Hoblin, Bagel Express in East Setauket and RG|NY vineyards in Riverhead. The videos are available at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcqXUiyUcJVfOxDMD78TeSw.

Being promoted by Discover Long Island has boosted the number of people visiting her restaurant, said Kaur of the Curry Club at SaGhar.

"I saw a difference in my revenue," she said.

Last month, Nassau launched a 30-second television commercial without Discover Long Island's participation. The tourism spot, which was paid for with $600,000 in federal COVID-19 money, aired for two weeks in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, upstate New York and the metropolitan area as well as on Newsmax, the right-wing news channel.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.