Connecticut: $1 for Tourism
I was stunned to receive the following letter from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. It seems that the state of Connecticut has decided to reduce the amount of money that they spend attracting tourists to the state from $4.2 million last year to $1 (one dollar) this year. As a travel photographer I travel almost constantly to different states around the country and, by comparison to any other state that I've visited (seven in the last month) Connecticut has one of the worst tourism industries in the country. It's no wonder that people from New York and New Jersey use Connecticut as a doormat to the rest of New England. That's the level of pride that the state government shows in its own state. Shame on you Governor Rell. Your lack of pride in your own state is a disgrace.
<<<A message from Karen Senich, Executive Director, and Randy Fiveash, Director of Tourism, Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism:
Over the past few weeks much has been voiced and written about the State of Connecticut’s budget and how it has specifically affected the tourism budget of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism (CCT). Now that the dust has settled we want to update you on the tourism budget and the realities of it. Additionally, we want to briefly lay out the opportunities which lie ahead. The Commission is committed to doing everything we can to support and bolster Connecticut tourism in hopes of a rising economy and future funding.
The recently passed State of Connecticut budget allocates one dollar ($1.00) for FY 2010 and 2011 to the Statewide Marketing Fund for tourism marketing, down from $4.2 million last year. As you may be aware, the Statewide Marketing Fund is CCT’s multi-faceted account for tourism that includes all advertising, marketing, public relations and direct sales efforts, among other outreach efforts. This is the area that was reduced to $1.00.
These are challenging economic times for all, including Connecticut’s travel and tourism industry. As a result, a new approach is needed on the State level to promote Connecticut’s destinations, attractions, lodging and tourism services. The State’s role in tourism marketing is to provide leadership as the statewide marketing umbrella to reach as many target-market travelers as possible with a broad branded message. The Commission on Culture & Tourism focuses on marketing efforts that tourism districts and tourism industry members cannot do alone, as efficiently.
The Commission on Culture & Tourism is committed to taking on this new budget challenge by: maintaining foundation tourism program elements, such as Connecticut’s Official Tourism website www.CTvisit.com, Connecticut Welcome Centers, and toll-free 1-888-CTvisit tourism information line; creating cooperative marketing efforts driven by the needs of the industry and major consumer motivators and; discontinuing marketing elements, while worthwhile, are no longer affordable.
Moving tourism forward in Connecticut in these difficult economic times will take a unified approach. We at CCT have developed a Tourism Moving Forward Plan of Action that is designed to help us collectively survive this critical time. We can only do this with the help and partnership of the Connecticut travel and tourism industry. To learn briefly what is behind the Tourism Moving Forward Plan of Action, along with information regarding programs that are affected by the reduction in Statewide Marketing Funds, click here. >>>
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