Ithaca Loves Teachers comes to Tompkins County

Whether it’s a spa day, a carefree outing with the family or some retail therapy downtown, there is something to interest every hardworking educator in Tompkins County — and beyond — with Ithaca Loves Teacher, a longtime local initiative that encourages teachers to explore special discounts and create their ideal vacation during their February break. 

This year’s celebration takes place from Feb. 16 to 29 and includes exclusive deals and opportunities for educators to enjoy lodging, food and beverage, retail and entertainment experiences in the community.

Ithaca Loves Teachers is open to all public school teachers, school district employees/staff, teachers’ union retirees, homeschool teachers and childcare workers. Registration is now open, and educators can sign up for the free digital pass to use as a guide for the event.

Ithaca Loves Teachers began 19 years ago.

“It’s certainly grown,” said Jodi LaPierre, Visit Ithaca’s director of visitor experience. “The first year we barely had 1,000 participants, and we peaked at just over 2,500 the last couple years.”

LaPierre, who has been a part of the initiative since it started, said that to her knowledge Ithaca Loves Teachers is a unique program. Certainly, it is the only educator appreciation program operating at such a large scale, she said, and this draws in people from outside Tompkins County who can then take advantage of the hotel deals.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth in terms of where we see people coming in from,” she said. “We’re seeing more from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area.”

Chelsea Ryan, a teacher at Union Springs Central School District, has participated in the Ithaca Loves Teachers events since she started teaching over 10 years ago.

“My family looks forward to seeing the deals to try something new but also to check out what our favorite places are offering,” she said. “We appreciate all the local businesses that participate, especially the buy one, get one drinks at Gimme, Maxie’s dinner deal and when Ithaca Beer Co. had buy one, get one pizzas.”

“We’ve done mini staycations at La Tourelle with self-care afternoons at Rasa,” Ryan added. “My daughters always enjoy a day at the Sciencenter and Museum of the Earth. This year we are excited to see how many hikes we can check off on the Waterfall Challenge.”

“The post-holiday months are challenging for many of our retail businesses, for restaurants and lodging establishments,” said Tompkins Chamber President Jennifer Tavares. “Ithaca Loves Teachers helps those businesses, while honoring the contributions of educators. This multi-week event offers educators, their families and friends an opportunity to visit and enjoy everything we have to offer, while bringing revenue to our businesses.”

 In 2023, more than 2,275 educators participated in the celebration, redeeming more than 2,500 deals during the two-week period. The estimated economic impact from the event was more than $209,000 for Tompkins County during the event dates.

“Ithaca Loves Teachers is a visible way to celebrate educators and all those supporting our children in schools. This celebration also supports local small businesses throughout Tompkins County during the slowest time of the year,” said Peggy Coleman, Tompkins Chamber vice president and director of Visit Ithaca. “Ithaca Loves Teachers infuses over $209,000 of visitor spending into this community, sustaining local jobs and generating critical sales tax dollars which pay for parks, health and safety, road plowing and other services every Tompkins County resident enjoys. That is something to celebrate.”

Visit Ithaca, Tompkins County’s contracted destination management organization, organizes and produces Ithaca Loves Teachers in partnership with Tompkins Chamber and Downtown Ithaca Alliance. The presenting sponsor is Visions Federal Credit Union.

Registration is free. To redeem deals and upon checking-in to accommodations, please be prepared to show your school ID badge or equivalent, or proof of employment in education/teachers union retiree status.

During Ithaca Loves Teachers, Visit Ithaca staff will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Downtown Visitor Center, inside the Tompkins Center for History & Culture at 110 N. Tioga St., Ithaca.

For more information and to register, visit IthacaLovesTeachers.com.