What Break The Ice Media does

Break The Ice Media is a privately held, small (1-10 employee) digital marketing and content development firm headquartered in Canandaigua, New York, founded in 2009 and focused on the travel and tourism industry. On 2022-03-03 the company acquired Travel Alliance Partnership (TAP), which now functions as its primary operating brand and revenue engine. TAP is structured as a tourism community and membership organization serving Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), tour operators, destination products, strategic partners, and travel advisors across the United States.

The company's offerings span two revenue streams: recurring membership programs (TAP Tour Operators, TAP Guild Members, TAP Strategic Partners) providing access to a collaborative industry network, and fee-for-service marketing engagements including integrated digital marketing, audience research, and brand strategy. The core technology stack is not publicly disclosed; the platform is essentially a content-and-community operating model rather than a software product, anchored by the 'Destination on the Left' podcast (482+ episodes), a research and workshop library, the TAP Dance annual conference (scheduled for Detroit in 2027), webinars, and virtual travel showcases. Distribution is reinforced by partnerships with major tourism associations including ABA, NTA, Destination International, NYSTIA, PRSA, TMAC, AMI, and Travel Unity, which provide credibility and member reach.

The go-to-market is community-led: growth is driven through direct membership enrollment, events, educational content, and association-affiliated referrals rather than paid acquisition. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Scale indicators include 26.8 million impressions and positive editorial coverage on a collaborative destination brand campaign, 200 in-market activation distributions for a drive-market campaign, and 21 new or updated marketing materials for the Keuka Lake Wine Trail Passport campaign, suggesting meaningful but boutique-scale marketing delivery. The company maintains active careers, events, and AI Resources sections on its website, indicating ongoing organizational and product investment.

Name

Break The Ice Media

Legal name

Travel Alliance Partnership

Website

https://breaktheicemedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Break The Ice Media is a small US digital marketing firm that, via its 2022 acquisition of Travel Alliance Partnership (TAP), operates a membership community and marketing services business for DMOs, tour operators, travel advisors, and destination products in the tourism industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Canandaigua

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Programs: TAP generates revenue through membership programs offering access to the TAP community, resources, and collective benefits for tour operators, guild members, and strategic partners.
2. Marketing Services: Fee-for-service marketing services including strategic growth services, digital marketing campaigns, and integrated marketing solutions for destinations and tourism organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Break The Ice Media provides digital marketing, content development, and advertising services for the travel and tourism industry. Operating primarily through its Travel Alliance Partnership (TAP) subsidiary, it delivers strategic marketing services, membership programs, education and resources, events programming, and the "Destination on the Left" podcast to destination marketing organizations, tour operators, destination products, strategic partners, and travel advisors.

Product overview

Travel Alliance Partnership (TAP) offers a portfolio of tourism industry services centered around marketing services, membership programs, education, and events. The core offerings include strategic marketing services for DMOs and tourism organizations, membership programs connecting tour operators and travel advisors, educational resources including research and workshops, and events including webinars and the annual TAP Dance conference. A notable content product is the 'Destination on the Left' podcast. These offerings work together to support economic growth in tourism communities through collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing Services Strategic marketing services including integrated digital marketing, audience research, and brand strategy delivered to tourism organizations to boost economic growth and visitation.
• Membership Programs Structured membership programs providing access to TAP's industry network, collaborative community, and exclusive resources for tour operators, guild members, strategic partners, and travel advisors.
• Education & Resources Educational offerings including research, resource library, workshop library, publications, and newsletters focused on tourism marketing, collaboration, and destination management.
• Events Events programming including community conversations, travel advisor webinars, virtual travel showcases, and the TAP Dance annual conference for tourism professionals.
• Destination on the Left Podcast A podcast series (482+ episodes) exploring tourism industry topics, featuring interviews with industry leaders on destination marketing, collaboration, and travel trends.
• TAP Dance Annual Conference Annual tourism industry conference bringing together travel professionals for networking, education, and collaboration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26,800,000 impressions and positive editorial coverage from collaborative destination brand campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABA (American Bus Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation membership providing access to bus tour industry professionals and related tourism stakeholders.
• AMI (Accredited Marketing Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation partnership demonstrating marketing expertise and industry standards compliance.
• Destination InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor industry association representing DMOs globally, providing professional development and resources.
• NTA (National Tour Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partnership connecting with tour operators and travel industry professionals.
• Travel UnityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting diversity and inclusion in travel and tourism.
• TMAC (Travel Marketing Association Coalition)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for travel marketing professionals.
• PRSA (Public Relations Society of America)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association for PR practitioners supporting communications strategies.
• NYSTIA (New York State Tourism Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism industry association representing New York State tourism stakeholders.
• TGW StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on 'Elevating Culture Through Marketing' campaign for cultural institution tourism.
• Fuse MarketingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on 'Storytelling Beyond a Major Attraction' destination brand campaign.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MMGY Global: MMGY Global is one of the largest integrated marketing agencies serving the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry globally. It is comparable to TAP as a specialist serving DMOs, tour operators, and travel brands, but operates at much larger scale across the full marketing services stack.
• Sojern: Sojern is a digital marketing platform purpose-built for travel marketers, offering programmatic advertising and data solutions to DMOs and travel brands. It is a broader incumbent in the digital travel marketing space overlapping with TAP's client base.

Direct peers

• Miles Partnership: Miles Partnership is a marketing and media services firm focused specifically on destination marketing organizations and tourism. It is a direct competitor to TAP, offering integrated marketing, media buying, and content services to DMOs across the US.
• Madden Media: Madden Media is a tourism marketing agency that works with destinations, attractions, and travel brands on digital advertising and content. It is comparable to TAP in customer base (DMOs and tourism boards) and service offering (integrated digital marketing).
• Development Counsellors International (DCI): DCI is a marketing firm specializing in economic development and tourism marketing for states, regions, and cities. It is comparable to TAP for serving government-adjacent tourism clients with brand strategy, PR, and content-led campaigns.
• BVK: BVK is a full-service marketing agency focused on the travel and tourism industry, serving destinations, hotels, and attractions. It is comparable to TAP in vertical specialization and integrated marketing services for tourism clients.
• Hemsworth Communications: Hemsworth is a PR and marketing agency serving travel, tourism, and hospitality clients globally. It overlaps with TAP in tourism PR, integrated campaigns, and content development for destinations and travel brands.
• The Brandon Agency: The Brandon Agency is a full-service marketing agency with a tourism and hospitality practice serving destinations and travel brands. It overlaps with TAP in integrated digital marketing, brand strategy, and content for tourism clients.

Emerging players

• Destination Analysts: Destination Analysts is a tourism research and insights firm serving DMOs and tourism organizations with surveys and data products. It is comparable to TAP's research and education offerings and serves overlapping DMO customers.

Others

• TIA (Travel Industry Association): TIA is a national trade association representing all components of the US travel industry. It is comparable to TAP's association partnership model and overlap with TAP's community-led GTM motion across DMOs and tourism stakeholders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@travelalliancepartnership
• Facebookfacebook.com/TravelAlliancePartnersTAP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tapintotravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/travelalliancepartnership
• Xx.com/Break_TheIce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Break The Ice Media