Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism

What Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism does

Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) is a nonprofit Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMMO) that serves as the official regional tourism steward for Essex and Hamilton counties in New York, including the Adirondack communities of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake. Founded around 2010, ROOST's core function is destination marketing and destination management: it connects visitors with Adirondack businesses, events, and experiences while balancing tourism activity with community quality-of-life considerations. The organization reaches visitors and stakeholders through an integrated digital and physical footprint consisting of eight regional websites (including AdirondacksUSA.com as the primary portal, plus LakePlacid.com, SaranacLake.com, TupperLake.com, and others), a biweekly email newsletter (The Insider) distributed across seven regional editions, a mobile application for the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail, and physical visitor centers in Lake Placid and Crown Point plus regional offices in Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake.

The technology stack is built around destination discovery and visitor engagement rather than transactional commerce. The AdirondacksUSA.com website features a preference-based quiz, hike finder, and events calendar; the Rail Trail mobile app provides real-time positioning and offline navigation for trail users; and the recently launched Adirondacks, USA Market extends the platform into ecommerce with Shopify and Square integration for local retailers. ROOST also operates WorkADK, an employment platform connecting regional employers with seasonal workers, and maintains a shared Adirondack Image Library for partner marketing use. The organization supports major long-running events including Ironman Lake Placid (27th edition), Lake Placid Horse Shows (57th year, nearly 1,000 horses, $700K+ in prize money), and the Tinman Triathlon (44th year).

ROOST operates as a grant-funded nonprofit with revenue derived primarily from government sources — including U.S. Economic Development Administration grants, New York State Community World Cup Grant Program funding, and county-level support from Essex and Hamilton counties — supplemented by modest event admission and vendor fees. Most services and business resources are provided free of charge. The customer base is highly diversified across local SMBs (hotels, restaurants, attractions), community nonprofits, government partners such as ORDA, event organizers, and millions of visitors distributed across the eight regional website portals. ROOST is governed by a Board of Directors representing diverse regional industries, with two ex-officio representatives from the Essex County Board of Supervisors.

Name

Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism

Legal name

Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism

Website

https://roostadk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) is a nonprofit destination marketing and management organization that promotes Adirondack tourism across Essex and Hamilton counties through 8 regional websites, a mobile app, visitor centers, and event partnerships, serving visitors, local businesses, and community stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Placid

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: ROOST operates primarily as a nonprofit funded through government grants including Economic Development Administration grants, New York state Community World Cup Grant Program funding, and county-level support from Essex and Hamilton counties.
2. Tourism Marketing Services: Provides destination marketing and management services to support local tourism economies, offering business listing opportunities, promotional placements, and event promotion across regional platforms for local Adirondack businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ROOST is a nonprofit destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) that promotes tourism across the Adirondack region through a network of 8 regional destination websites, a mobile trail-navigation app, an online marketplace connecting local retailers with shoppers, and supporting programs including a biweekly newsletter, event coordination, and business resource toolkits for Essex and Hamilton counties and the communities of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake.

Product overview

ROOST is a nonprofit destination marketing and management organization offering a portfolio of digital platforms and services. The core offering includes eight regional websites (AdirondacksUSA.com as the primary portal plus LakePlacid.com, SaranacLake.com, TupperLake.com, and others) that work together to provide travel information and destination marketing for the Adirondack region. Supporting digital products include the Adirondack Rail Trail Mobile App (for trail navigation with offline capability), the Adirondacks, USA Market (an online marketplace with Shopify/Square integration), The Insider newsletter (biweekly regional updates), and the WorkADK employment platform. Service offerings encompass destination marketing (data-driven visitor strategies), destination management (balancing tourism with community needs), business resource toolkits, and event promotion services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RailTrail.APP: Mobile application for navigating the Adirondack Rail Trail connecting Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake communities
• WorkADK
• The Insider
• Adirondacks, USA Market

Products and services

• AdirondacksUSA.com Primary travel information website that helps travelers find their place within the Adirondacks, featuring a quiz, hike finder, events calendar, and multi-region touring content.
• Adirondack Rail Trail Mobile App Free mobile app providing real-time navigation for the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail with offline capability and connections to nearby businesses and attractions.
• Adirondacks, USA Market Online marketplace connecting shoppers with products from regional retailers with Shopify and Square integration for seamless order fulfillment.
• Destination Marketing Service Data-driven marketing strategies that connect visitors with destinations to strengthen the regional economy.
• Destination Management Service Service balancing visitor activity with community needs to ensure tourism supports residents' quality of life and local economies.
• The Insider Newsletter Biweekly email newsletter delivered Tuesday and Friday at 10 a.m. across 7 regional editions covering events, local notices, and regional information.
• WorkADK Employment Platform Workforce initiative connecting potential employees with employment opportunities in the Adirondacks.
• Regional Websites Network Network of 8 Adirondack region-focused websites including LakePlacid.com, LakeChamplainRegion.com, AdirondackHub.com, WhitefaceRegion.com, and others, providing targeted regional destination content.
• Adirondack Image Library Shared library of high-resolution professional images organized by region and season for partner marketing and storytelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,340 cars and 2,600 attendees brought to region through Porsche Parade partnership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Ongoing collaboration with ORDA on events, business initiatives, and Olympic venue promotion. Host joint Business After Hours networking events and coordinate on summer event programming including horse shows and community celebrations.
• Hotel SaranacminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Tinman Virtual Training Club, providing free training content for triathlon participants through video recordings and expert-led sessions.
• Northern Forest Canoe TrailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Celebrate Paddling ADK festival, hosting the Round the Mountain Canoe and Kayak Race as a long-standing Adirondack paddling tradition.
• Adirondack Lakes and Trails OutfitterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner for Celebrate Paddling ADK, contributing to the annual paddling celebration and waterway protection efforts.
• St. Regis Canoe OutfitterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner for Celebrate Paddling ADK supporting paddling community events and educational initiatives.
• Raquette River OutfitterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner for Celebrate Paddling ADK contributing to paddling festival programming.
• Guide ADKsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner for Celebrate Paddling ADK supporting outdoor adventure programming.
• Boothe River ParksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner presenting River Reels Film Fest as fundraiser for proposed river park project in Saranac Lake.
• Northwest River SuppliessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner for Celebrate Paddling ADK supporting paddling community initiatives.
• Saranac Lake Area Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner for Celebrate Paddling ADK supporting regional paddling culture celebration.
• UpNCodingsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLocal software engineering bootcamp that partnered with ROOST to build the Adirondack Rail Trail mobile app, providing students practical project experience while creating a new tourism tool.
• Town of Schroon LakecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with ROOST in hosting FIFA World Cup watch party and Shores and Scores Festival to bring global event to Adirondack community.
• Schroon Lake Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of FIFA World Cup watch party event, bringing championship game viewing to Schroon Lake with local business participation.
• Tupper ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner organizing Party on Park celebration, fostering artistic opportunities and community events in Tupper Lake.
• North Country Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Annual Adirondack Day in Albany, showcasing regional economic diversity to state officials and lawmakers.
• Adirondack Association of Towns and VillagescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Annual Adirondack Day in Albany, representing municipal interests across the Adirondack region.
• Adirondack Farmers Market CooperativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting small farms and artisans throughout Essex County, providing fresh produce and handmade goods at regional farmers markets.
• Adirondack HarvestsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit promoting local agriculture, connecting farmers, producers, and consumers while expanding access to healthy local food.
• Porsche Club of AmericasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting the 70th Annual Porsche Parade bringing over 1,340 cars and 2,600 attendees to Lake Placid region.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Choose Chicago: Private nonprofit DMO for the Chicago region, comparable to ROOST in structure (nonprofit, multi-stakeholder board, destination marketing and management). Both operate regional websites, visitor centers, and event promotion programs funded by a mix of public and private sources.
• Explore Asheville: Private nonprofit DMO for Asheville and Buncombe County, NC. Highly comparable to ROOST as a regional nonprofit DMO operating digital platforms, visitor centers, and event promotion for an outdoor-recreation-focused destination.
• Visit California: State-level nonprofit tourism marketing organization. Comparable to ROOST as a publicly-supported tourism marketing body operating digital platforms, content marketing, and event support, but at a statewide scale.
• Pure Michigan: Michigan's statewide tourism marketing campaign managed through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Comparable in destination marketing mission, digital platform operation, and event promotion strategy, but at state scale.
• Destination DC: Private nonprofit DMO for Washington, DC. Comparable to ROOST as a regional DMO with a portfolio of digital platforms, event promotion, and visitor services, structured as a public-private partnership funded by a mix of government and member dues.
• Travel Oregon: Oregon's statewide tourism marketing organization. Comparable as a publicly-funded DMO operating digital platforms, content marketing, and event support, with a similar rural/outdoor-recreation focus that mirrors ROOST's Adirondack positioning.
• Visit Tampa Bay: Private nonprofit DMO for the Tampa Bay region. Comparable to ROOST as a regional nonprofit destination marketing organization with digital platforms, event promotion, and visitor services funded by a mix of public and private sources.
• I Love NY: New York State's official tourism marketing organization, a state-level DMO comparable to ROOST's regional destination marketing mandate but at a larger geography. Both share nonprofit/public-funded structures and operate websites, event promotion, and visitor engagement programs.
• NYC & Company: Official DMO for New York City, operating as a nonprofit with city/member funding. Comparable in structure (nonprofit DMO with digital platforms, event promotion, and visitor engagement) and serves overlapping New York State tourism demand that ROOST also targets upstate.

Broad incumbents

• Brand USA: The United States' national destination marketing organization. Comparable in destination marketing mission and digital platform operation, but operates at national scale across all U.S. destinations rather than a single region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RoostadkLP
• Facebookfacebook.com/roostadk
• Xx.com/ROOSTADK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roostadk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism