Oneida County Tourism leader discusses future plans

UTICA, N.Y. — With almost two years under her belt at the helm of Oneida County Tourism (OTC), Sarah Foster Calero is using the lessons she has learned to outline future plans for the organization. Foster Calero took the leadership role at OCT in June 2023, succeeding the former president of 14 years Kelly Blazosky, and called 2023 a year of learning. While she has always worked in the tourism field and had served as director of communications and TV/film, director of media relations, and director of sales for OCT, the promotion to president came with a learning curve. If that year was a year of learning, 2024 was a year of making moves, Foster Calero says. “One of biggest accomplishments was collaborating and being a partner for the IIHF hockey tournament,” Foster Calero says. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship event took place April 3-14, 2024 and featured 10 national women’s ice-hockey teams that played in 29 games at the Utica University Nexus Center and Adirondack Bank Center. The event boosted hotel-occupancy rates in Utica by 9 percent over the previous year with a 16 percent increase in the daily rate and a 22 percent increase in revenue for the month. “It was great to see all those numbers increase,” Foster Calero says. It also reinforced that partnerships and community ties are key for OCT’s future. Last year, OCT went on to partner in promoting the region for several other events including the World Lacrosse Box Championships and is always looking for new ways to partner with businesses and entities in the region. Other initiatives included taking two popular “trails” digital and launching a new trail, Foster Calero adds. OCT’s beverage and cheese trails are now accessible digitally instead of in a paper format, making them easier for people to use. The beverage trail also added various prize tiers instead of just one prize for visiting all locations. Now people in town for just a weekend can visit a few establishments and still get a prize. A new Discover Utica Trail featuring more than 100 local businesses encourages people to explore what the city has to offer whether they live there or are just visiting for a weekend. OCT is currently working with Cornell Cooperative Extension to create a new agritourism trail it hopes to launch later this year. Agriculture is Oneida County’s top industry, and there is plenty to show off from farmers’ markets and farm stands to agribusinesses. “We really just want to highlight that more and show our pride in it,” Foster Calero says. Another huge initiative for the coming year is celebrating the Erie Canal’s bicentennial. “We see this as an opportunity of getting people to come for the canal and stay for the history,” she says. OCT is currently meeting with Oneida County municipalities located along the canal to workshop ideas. The top goal for the coming year is an in-house initiative — rebranding, Foster Calero says. It’s been more than eight years since OCT last refreshed its brand. Throughout the year, the organization will be working to strengthen how it uses data to drive its marketing and other goals, she adds. Using the demographic information it gathers helps the organization make smarter decisions. On a more personal level, Foster Calero will complete her Certified Destination Management Executive (CMDE) certification this year. It’s the highest education certification available in the travel and tourism industry, and she says it has helped her broaden her understanding of her role at OCT. A not-for-profit corporation, Oneida County Tourism serves as the lead agency promoting visitation to Oneida County.