Apparel at Commerce Chenango headquarters flashes a fresh new logo promoting “Chenango NY” as a visitor destination. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

NORWICH – With an aim to bolster tourism throughout the area, Commerce Chenango is working to rebrand Chenango County’s image in order to broaden its appeal to outsiders and strengthen a local visitor economy.

Sal Testani, president and CEO of Commerce Chenango, unveiled Chenango’s rebrand to members of the county board in June, showing off updated apparel, a new logo, and the slogan: “For visitors in a rush to get away from the rush, seeking a place to be their very own secret spot, only Chenango County gives them an accessible destination where you can do it all – or do nothing at all.”

“This is not just getting people to come. It’s trying to create a financial ripple throughout the county,” said Testani. “The fact that we have this authentic nature – this undiscovered, undeniable, unforgettable feeling of home – we need to build on that and the assets we have.”

To make the county’s image more inviting, Commerce Chenango has partnered with Jones, Lang, and LaSalle (JLL), a private consulting agency, to roll out the new branding campaign which hones in on creating a brand identity for Chenango County. In keeping with traditional Chenango County branding, the new logo features a more simplified bullthistle design and a fluid cursive font spelling “Chenango NY” in bold lettering.

“We got a lot of feedback for dropping ‘County’ from the design,” Testani said. “But we have to remember that we’re not talking to ourselves, the people who already live here. We’re trying to talk to people who are interested in visiting. And people like the idea of visiting ‘Chenango, NY.’”

Commerce Chenango has long been the designated tourism and promotion agency for Chenango County. Tourism spending in Chenango County for 2025 supported events and initiatives like BluesFest, Taste of Chenango, Airport Days, Great Getaways, Summer Concert Series, Chenango County Fair, and the Southern Tier Beverage Trail, among others.

The latest report from Chenango County Tourism shows visitor spending for local businesses increased from $44 million in 2023 to $48.4 million in 2024, a growth of 8.9%, the largest in the tourism region. This gain generated $2.8 million in local taxes, creating money for schools, roads, local initiatives, and tourism.

One of Commerce Chenango’s next steps, explained Testani, is to create a tourism website for Chenango County and form a digital footprint. He said the goal is to establish a visitor economy and build on Chenango’s assets, including the Chenango, Unadilla, and Susquehanna rivers that traverse the region. He also floated ideas of partnering with local businesses to create new offerings that expand on existing events in order to entice visitors to stay longer.

“Our ultimate goal in all of this,” said Testani, “is that we want the kind of people who will visit and say ‘I can live here. I can see myself in this community.’”