Discover Long Island

What Discover Long Island does

Discover Long Island is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Long Island, New York, founded in 1979 as the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau & Sports Commission and rebranded under its current name in November 2016. It promotes a regional tourism and hospitality economy valued at $7.9 billion, serving two primary audiences: (1) tourism and hospitality partner businesses (hotels, attractions, restaurants, wineries, breweries, golf courses, cultural institutions) that gain visibility, leads, and networking access through membership, and (2) end-visitor tourists seeking trip-planning content for the Long Island region covering Suffolk County, the East End, Gold Coast, Fire Island, and Nassau County touchpoints. The organization also serves meeting/event planners, sports organizers, journalists/media, and LGBTQ+ travelers as secondary segments.

The core technology platform is the discoverlongisland.com website built on the Simpleview CRM (the dominant DMO industry platform), supplemented by a mobile application (Android; iOS via Google Play), a partner extranet portal, and a multi-channel content ecosystem spanning podcasts (Long Island Tea, C-Suite Tea), Spotify playlists (LiLi's Playlist, UBS Arena Headliners), a Long Island TV video platform, the You BeLong video series, and social media (Instagram, Facebook, X). Distribution extends through a bi-weekly email newsletter, a print/digital Inspiration Guide, and earned media relations.

The business model is a non-profit membership organization funded through annual partner membership fees (waived for qualified accommodations paying the hotel occupancy tax), public/government sources (Suffolk County, I Love New York, Empire State Development), and tourism promotion services supporting meetings, conventions, sports events, and weddings. The organization operates with 11-50 employees from its Hauppauge, NY headquarters, governed by a board under Chairman Steve Bate and President & CEO Kristen Jarnagin. Its strategic posture is defined by official designation (regulatory moat), a 45+ year operating history (intangible/brand asset), and a deep partnership ecosystem anchored by state and county government, the MTA/LIRR, and major hospitality brands.

Name

Discover Long Island

Legal name

Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau & Sports Commission

Website

https://discoverlongisland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Discover Long Island is the official non-profit destination marketing organization for Long Island, NY, founded in 1979. It promotes a $7.9 billion regional tourism economy to leisure visitors, meeting planners, sports organizers, and LGBTQ+ travelers via its website, mobile app, podcasts, and partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAJ)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• Hospitality partner membership
• Convention sports commission
• Travel content marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Hauppauge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partner Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from tourism and hospitality businesses (hotels, attractions, restaurants, etc.) that gain enhanced visibility on the Discover Long Island website and access to exclusive business leads and networking events. There is no membership fee for qualified accommodations paying the hotel occupancy tax.
2. Tourism Promotion Services: Services supporting the region's $7.9 billion tourism/hospitality economy, including marketing support, lead generation for partners, and convention/event services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Discover Long Island operates Long Island's official, non-profit Destination Marketing Organization, selling annual partner memberships to tourism and hospitality businesses (hotels, attractions, restaurants, wineries, venues) and providing them with enhanced website visibility, qualified business leads, networking events, and convention/sports promotion services. It also produces and distributes a suite of consumer-facing digital channels — website, mobile app, podcasts, Spotify playlists, video series, and an Inspiration Guide — that market the region to travelers, meeting planners, sports organizers, and media.

Product overview

Discover Long Island is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Long Island, New York, operating a multi-platform digital ecosystem to promote tourism across the region. The core offering is the discoverlongisland.com website, supplemented by the Discover Long Island Mobile App (iOS/Android), the Long Island TV video platform, and the Long Island Tea and C-Suite Tea podcasts. Additional products include the You BeLong video series, the LI250 commemorative campaign, the Long Island Inspiration Guide (print/digital), and an email newsletter delivered bi-weekly. A Partner Portal Extranet serves the organization's membership network, providing access to leads, resources, and industry events. The organization rebranded from the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau & Sports Commission to Discover Long Island in November 2016.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• You BeLong: A video series and community campaign spotlighting Long Island's unique local businesses, stories, and diverse communities to showcase what makes Long Island special.
• Long Island TV
• Long Island Tea Podcast
• C-Suite Tea
• Long Island 250 (LI250)

Products and services

• Partner Membership Program Annual membership for Long Island tourism and hospitality businesses (hotels, attractions, restaurants, wineries, breweries, venues, cultural institutions) that delivers enhanced listings on discoverlongisland.com, exclusive qualified business leads, access to networking mixers, sales events, and industry presentations, plus convention/sports promotion support.
• Convention, Meetings & Sports Event Promotion Services Group-event promotion services for corporate/association meeting planners, incentive travel planners, and sports commissions seeking Long Island venues, accommodations, dining, and logistical support. Provides venue sourcing, group accommodation coordination, and team-building activity curation for groups and tournaments.
• Media Relations & PR Services Communications services provided to local, national, and international journalists — including story ideas, fact-checking, imagery, and hosted media trips — to generate earned media coverage for Long Island tourism.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Empire State DevelopmentcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 May 2026Empire State Development announced regional partners supporting free 2026 FIFA World Cup viewing events. Discover Long Island is a regional partner for the June 12 event at Stony Brook University, supporting Governor Hochul's strategy to maximize statewide economic and tourism benefits from hosting the World Cup.
• New York City FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner supporting 2026 FIFA World Cup viewing events on Long Island, contributing to soccer programming and entertainment for the events.
• Westchester Soccer ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner supporting 2026 FIFA World Cup viewing events in Westchester County, providing soccer expertise and programming.
• The Island FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner supporting 2026 FIFA World Cup viewing events on Long Island.
• Visit Westchester N.Y.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner with Discover Long Island for the 2026 FIFA World Cup regional viewing events, supporting Governor Hochul's statewide tourism strategy.
• U.S. Soccer FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational partner supporting World Cup viewing events with interactive soccer programming and family activities.
• OptimumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing support for 2026 FIFA World Cup viewing events on Long Island.
• News 12minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner covering 2026 FIFA World Cup viewing events, providing coverage and promotion for the regional events.
• Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMTA's Long Island Rail Road provides transportation support for World Cup viewing events, enabling visitors to access Stony Brook University venue via public transit.
• Metro-North RailroadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMTA's Metro-North Railroad provides transportation support for Westchester County World Cup viewing events.
• Long Island Wine CountrycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner representing Long Island's wine and vineyard industry, featuring prominently in tourism promotion for wine country experiences.
• PSEG LIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing utility services and community support for Long Island tourism initiatives.
• MTA Long Island Rail RoadcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKey transportation partner providing rail service to 124 stations across Long Island, enabling car-free travel to tourism destinations.
• National GridminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Long Island tourism and community initiatives.
• Sands CasinominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner representing hospitality and entertainment sector on Long Island.
• Suffolk CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCounty government partner supporting tourism promotion for Suffolk County through collaborative marketing initiatives.
• I Love New YorkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial New York State tourism marketing partner, part of the statewide tourism promotion network.
• MTAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMetropolitan Transportation Authority partner providing information on MTA Away services for Long Island visitors.
• HIA (Hospitality Industry Association)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosting East End Networking Mixer events with Discover Long Island, connecting hospitality businesses across Long Island's East End.
• LGBT Network PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of LGBTQ+ organizations including prideonthebeach.org, promoting LGBTQ+ travel to Long Island and Fire Island destinations.
• SimpleviewcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing the Simpleview CRM platform for Discover Long Island's website, partner extranet, and digital marketing infrastructure.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NYC Tourism + Conventions: Official destination marketing organization for New York City, the primary feeder market for Long Island tourism. Directly comparable in mission (promoting a destination, partner membership model, content-driven web/app ecosystem) and overlapping audience.
• Visit Florida: Florida's official statewide DMO, structurally analogous as a public-private partnership funded by membership and tourism-development sources. Comparable in content ecosystem, partner portal, and reliance on a coastal/beach tourism economy.
• Visit California: California's official state DMO and one of the largest U.S. destination marketing organizations. Mirrors DLI's multi-channel content strategy (web, video, social, partner network) and tourism-economy scale.
• Choose Chicago: Official DMO for Chicago, operating a similar digital platform, partner membership model, and conventions/meetings promotion focus. Comparable in scope and SMB-partner ecosystem.
• Visit Philadelphia: Philadelphia's official DMO with comparable member-based funding, content-led web/app stack, and meetings/events vertical. Operates within the same Northeast corridor competitive set as Long Island.
• Visit Boston: Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, a regional DMO comparable in mission, partner-network structure, and convention/event promotion. Operates in the same Northeast travel market as DLI.
• Visit Denver: Denver's official DMO, comparable in non-profit DMO structure, content-driven visitor platform, and partner-membership funding model. Similar scale of operation and headcount.
• Brand USA: The United States' national destination marketing organization, comparable in promoting inbound visitation and partner/membership funding. Provides a useful structural parallel at national scale.

Broad incumbents

• I Love NY: New York State's official tourism brand and DLI's parent-state umbrella marketing partner. Operates the same 'Discover'-style brand architecture DLI adopted in 2016, and runs overlapping content/marketing campaigns.

Regional players

• VisitBritain: The UK's national tourism agency, comparable as a publicly funded DMO with multi-platform content ecosystem and partner network. Useful international benchmark, though geographically non-competing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DiscoverLINY
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DiscoverLongIslandNY/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/discoverlongisland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/discoverlongisland
• Instagraminstagram.com/discoverlongisland

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Discover Long Island