Destination Dutchess Announces 2025 Tourism Awards of Distinction Finalists

Destination Dutchess, formerly Dutchess Tourism, has announced the finalists for the 12th Annual Tourism Awards of Distinction which recognizes tourism-related businesses — hotels, restaurants, attractions, experiences and individuals — that are making significant contributions to Dutchess County as a vibrant destination. Winners will be announced at a special breakfast Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 9 a.m. at Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie.
 
Recognition will be given to the 21 finalists in seven categories highlighting awards for storytelling, collaboration, events, accessible hospitality, individual hospitality service, newcomer and the Dutchess County Executive’s award for overall achievement. In addition to those awards, the Mary Kay Vrba Spirit Award honors an individual who embodies the qualities of selflessness, service, inclusiveness, and leadership that Mary Kay Vrba championed during her tenure as president & CEO of Dutchess Tourism. This year’s Mary Kay Vrba Spirit Award honoree is Indira Naidu, Director of Sales & Marketing at Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Poughkeepsie. Naidu has been a dynamic force in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years—both in the Hudson Valley and beyond. Since March 2024, she has led the hotel’s sales and marketing efforts and brings to the table an outside-the-box mindset, sharp negotiating skills, and a genuine customer-advocate sensibility. An enthusiastic and ardent supporter of the county’s tourism and hospitality industry, Naidu champions all things Dutchess has to offer visitors, works tirelessly to attract business to the region and warmly welcomes guests to her property.
 
“Our team looks forward to this event every year, where we pause to give a huge thank you to the people and the businesses in our community who fuel our visitor economy with their creativity, passion and enthusiasm,” said Melaine Rottkamp, president & CEO of Destination Dutchess. “These honorees continue to innovate, grow and showcase the best of what Dutchess County has to offer the world. Congratulations to each and every finalist.”
 
Rottkamp will also give a brief tourism update for 2026, including details on exciting initiatives to mark America’s semiquincentennial, and Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino will be on hand to announce the County Executive’s Award for Overall Tourism Distinction. Guests will celebrate this year’s finalists and hear the winners announced while enjoying a breakfast buffet catered by Simply Gourmet featuring donated and locally sourced ingredients, including maple syrup from Soukup Farms, tea from Harney & Sons Teas, and coffee from J.B. Peel Coffee. Tickets are available at destinationdutchess.com/awards.

The 2025 Destination Dutchess Tourism Awards of Distinction Finalists are:
 
The Dutchess County Executive’s Award for Overall Distinction recognizes businesses and organizations that have continued to grow, innovate or make other significant investments that make our county a destination that attracts millions of visitors from all over the world. The finalists are:

• Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum, Poughkeepsie
• F.W. Battenfeld & Son (Battenfeld's Christmas Tree and Anemone Farm), Red Hook
• Four Brothers Drive-In Theatre, Amenia

Each finalist for the Newcomer Award of Distinction must be a tourism-related business or attraction that opened in Dutchess County during the 2024 calendar year. While newly opened, these finalists are already making quite an impression on our visitors and community. The finalists are:

• Curio Cabinet of the Hudson Valley, Poughkeepsie
• The Heartwood at Vassar, Poughkeepsie
• La Sorella, Fishkill

Finalists for the Event Award of Distinction hosted events that occurred in Dutchess County that attracted visitors through creative, engaging and entertaining experiences and made a positive impact on the tourism economy. Events hosted by these organizations provide excellent experiences to visitors. The finalists are:

• Beatrix Farrand Garden Association (Beatrix Farrand Garden at Bellefield) Hyde Park
• Innisfree Garden, Millbrook
• Wassaic Project, Wassaic

Finalists for the Collaboration Award of Distinction are businesses in Dutchess County that have worked together with other local businesses and/or community partners by forging unique partnerships, integrating products and ingredients or bringing to life an interesting theme to attract visitors and strengthen their businesses. These collaborative endeavors highlight Dutchess County's continuing efforts to present new and exciting events, attractions and locally made products that keep visitors coming back again and again. The finalists are:

• Quaker Meeting House Tour REV250 Project, Pawling, Millbrook, Clinton Corners, Hyde Park
• Peaceful Provisions, Beacon
• Poughkeepsie PorchFest, Poughkeepsie

Finalists for the Storytelling Award of Distinction have demonstrated a unique perspective and ability to connect with visitors when sharing history, heritage and culture. The finalists are:  

• Tangent Theatre Company, Tivoli
• Dutchess County Department of History, Poughkeepsie
• Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Beacon

 
The Accessible Hospitality Award of Distinction is awarded to a lodging property, restaurant, attraction or event that goes above and beyond standard Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance to create accessible, supportive and inclusive environments for travelers of all abilities. The finalists are: 

• Staatsburgh State Historic Site, Staatsburg
• Fishkill Farms, Hopewell Junction
• Fisher Center at Bard College, Annandale-On-Hudson

The Hospitality Service Award of Distinction honors an individual front-line customer service staff member who consistently provides exceptional service to visitors. The finalists are: 

• Joe Fakhoury, Vice President of Operations, River Link Hotels, Fishkill
• John Mousseau, First Mate, Tour Guide, RV Estuary Steward Tour Boat, Bannerman Castle Trust, Beacon
• Annemarie O’Brien-Camuso, Server, Simply Gourmet, Poughkeepsie/Uncle Sam’s Canteen at The Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home, Hyde Park

Each finalist is highlighted in featured articles on the Tourism Awards of Distinction website.
 
“We are thrilled to honor this year’s finalists, from rising-star newcomers to long-standing community institutions, all of which contribute to the tourism economy and enhance the visitor experience in Dutchess County,” said Brandon Walker, board chair of Destination Dutchess. “Their creativity, collaboration, and commitment are what help our region shine.”
 
Drawing tickets are also being sold online for a chance to win one of several prizes, including a Walkway Over the Hudson Household Membership, a pair of tickets to Mount Gulian Historic Site’s Annual Historic Dinner Event, an overnight stay at Curry Estate and gift certificate to Restaurant Six, a pair of tickets to any upcoming regular-season Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra concert, and a gift certificate to Oblong Books. In-person attendance is not required to win.
 
The Awards of Distinction event is supported by diamond sponsors Hilton Garden Inn Poughkeepsie/Fishkill and Marist University, and platinum sponsors Adams Fairacre Farms, Changing Our World, Central Hudson, Hampton Inn Fishkill, Mirbeau Inn & Spa, and Today Media. Sponsorship opportunities at various levels of support are still available for this event. Please contact Colleen Dorney at colleen@destinationdutchess.com for details.