Thursday, October 1, 2026
Discover Long Island, the marketing organization promoting Long Island to the world, held their annual meeting and legislative breakfast at Hilton Long Island on Mar. 14.
During the event, Discover LI presented their agenda for the year and premiered their new YouBelong campaign, featuring stories of local Long Islanders and business owners. “2025 is already proving to be a monumental year and there is much more on the horizon,” said Mitchell Pally, chairman of the Discover LI board of directors.
In 2023, travelers spent $7.5 billion while visiting Long Island, in large part as a result of Discover Long Islands global marketing of the region as a premier travel destination. With events like the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 100th anniversary of the Great Gatsby, and the 2026 NHL League All-Star Game, Long Island is expecting an unprecedented number of visitors in the upcoming years.
1. The role of tourism in boosting the local economy
The goal of Discover LI is to increase tourism in the region because tourism drives revenue across the island. Over 42 million tourists visited Long Island in 2023, generating $900 million in local and state tax revenue. During peak season, tourism generates over 100,000 jobs.
With 11 different social media channels and over 10 million followers, Discover LI is promoting Long Island tourism to audiences around the globe.
2. Targeting high value international visitors and promoting local exploration
Discover LI’s team attends tourism trade shows around the world to promote Long Island internationally. They target high value visitors who spend the more during their visit. When visitors come to LI from outside the region, they spend on hotels, dining, and activities.
Though they aren’t ignoring local residents, with hyper-local marketing that aims to expose Long Islander’s to new experiences in their own backyards.
3. Discover LI’s digital advances, with Near Me app and AI implementation
Discover LI has made strides in digital options for those planning a visit to Long Island. Their AI chatbot, LiLi, launched in 2024 and has since sent 6,071 messages. LiLi speaks multiple languages and has saved Discover LI staff 213 hours of work.
The Discover LI app, which saw a 300% increase in downloads since 2024, generates suggestions for dining and entertainment near users and provides information about the area.
They’ve also developed a section of their website to allow users to buy tickets for various events without leaving Discover LI’s page.
