HWS News
1 October 2025 • Alums Redefining Tourism in the Finger Lakes
Rob Holmes ’92 and Erika Piik ’87 launched a new tourism campaign that tells the story of the Finger Lakes through the lens of their connection to the community and their company’s artful documentary-style approach to storytelling.
With their company GLP Films based in Kennebunkport, Maine, Rob Holmes ’92 and Erika Piik ’87 applied their video storytelling skills to a recently released tourism campaign the “Finger Lakes Outdoor Experience.” With a series of seven 2-3-minute videos, produced with the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council, GLP showcases the lush and unique experience of outdoor recreation in the region, while emphasizing sustainability and community.
As founder and chief strategist of the company, Holmes has spent nearly two decades creating films that highlight sustainable travel around the world. Piik is GLP’s brand strategist and specializes in narrative and community engagement to emphasize stewardship and authenticity in projects like this one.
GLP spent two years on the project, which Holmes introduced at an evening event this summer, hosted by the Cayuga County Office of Tourism, at the Finger Lakes Welcome Center in Geneva.
As HWS alumni, the two bring more than their combined professional experience and 8-person team to the work. Their personal connection, they say, made them want to capture the soul of the Finger Lakes, which they did through breathtaking drone footage interspersed with intimate first-person perspectives and interviews with local experts.
Finger Lakes Outdoor Experience
One of many regional voices featured was Program Director and New York State-licensed Guide Debbie Lyon, of the Saunders Finger Lakes Museum in Branchport.
In the beginning of the first video, she says, “To love a place, you have to experience it.” By virtual extension, this series of videos sought to do exactly that.
The YouTube playlist is titled “Outdoor Experiences in the Finger Lakes, NY” and includes:
- “Finger Lakes: Sustainable Outdoors for Everyone”
- “Paddling in the Finger Lakes: Connectivity by Waterways”
- “Fishing in the Finger Lakes”
- “Cycling in the Finger Lakes: Scenic Rides, Gravel Rides and Mountain Bike”
- “Hiking in the Finger Lakes: Hit Some New Trails”
- “Slow Travel and Immersive Experiences in the Finger Lakes”
- “Discovering the Finger Lakes through Agritourism”
When GLP launched in 2008, the company covered a wide range of projects but eventually began specializing in sustainable travel. GLP found that sustainable tourism filled a widening niche after COVID-19, when travelers began prioritizing community and outdoor spaces.
When asked how they balance sustainability with local culture and tradition, Holmes and Piik say the first step is establishing trust and challenging expectations. “When we go to work with a client, some of the first challenges are to push away their expectations of what a travel film should look like,” Piik says.
GLP made multiple trips to the region, meeting with people and uncovering passionate outdoor recreation communities.
Returning to the place where they spent four formative years, they experienced the area in a new way. “Erika and I are super proud to be helping the region and the school elevate itself and bring out the beauty of it and what makes it so special,” he says.
“Our hope would be that if students, faculty and staff at HWS see these films, if they see themselves and their values reflected, they will be inspired to go out and explore,” Piik adds.
Top: Rob Holmes '92 and Erika Piik '87 celebrate the release of the "Finger Lakes Outdoor Experience" campaign at the Finger Lakes Welcome Center in Geneva.
