Lesser hosts tourism hearing at Quadrangle

Jan. 28, 2016 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD – The first of a series of hearings across the Commonwealth about the impact of the tourism industry launched in an appropriate place: The Quadrangle, which attracts 400,000 visitors a year.

State Sen. Eric Lesser and his co-chair state Rep. Cory Atkins of the Joint Legislative Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development heard testimony from a number of people representing various aspects of the tourism and arts industries in Hampden County. State Rep. Michael Finn of West Springfield and state Sen. Jamie Eldridge also attended.

Tourism is the state’s third largest industry, Atkins said.  According to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, tourism generates $1.2 billion in state and local taxes and $18.5 billion in travel related expenditures. It also supports 129,400 jobs.

Atkins said the marketing dollars to influence visitors to come here doesn’t compare well to neighboring states. She said New York has added an additional $5 million to its marketing budget just for the Catskills region alone.

Atkins said while tourism dollars have increased, the Commonwealth’s market share is shrinking. With that situation, she explained, “It’s hard politically to get attention.”

She said the Commonwealth is losing market share to the mid-Atlantic states.  

Richard Sullivan, the president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, stressed to the group the link between the arts and tourism and economic development in general.

He said his organization recently hosted House Speaker Robert DeLeo for a discussion about how Western Massachusetts could be marketed to companies in the greater Boston area looking for a location to expand or to which to move.

Sullivan said there is definitely a link between tourism attractions and the arts and workforce development and called on the legislators to help develop a singular marketing strategy. Such a campaign should stress that Western Massachusetts is a great place to visit, work and live.

“We know what we have here in Western Massachusetts and we need to market it better,” Sullivan said.

He added talking about travel and tourism could lead to “a much larger conversation.”

Lesser said Springfield has been a tourism and cultural center for a very long time and developments in the city now – the new Union Station, the MGM Springfield casino, the CRRC factory, the development of a Dr. Seuss museum and the creation of an Cultural District – will add to the city’s potential.

He added it is the purpose of the hearings to bring back information to the Legislature for future policy and budget debate.

When asked what was the most surprising fact she heard, Atkins said she didn’t realize how organizations in Western Massachusetts had supported and planned for the effort to bring the Olympics to Boston. Atkins was a strong supporter of the Boston Olympics and said she traveled to London, U.K., to see how that city had benefitted from its Olympics.

She said there were housing and transportation projects that have came out of the London Olympics that have made a lasting positive impact.

Here in Massachusetts, Atkins said, “It would have been a perfect catalyst.”

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