Tourism business appears to be like for assist from state | Information

BOSTON – The tourism industry is pushing lawmakers for more help for hotels, attractions and other hospitality businesses hit by the pandemic.

On Friday, regional tourism officials told a legislative body that they would need more marketing and other support to attract more visitors when the state reopens.

Ann Marie Casey, executive director of the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, said travel tourism was down more than 50% from normal Massachusetts levels, a much larger loss than the national average.

“That translates to more than $ 15 billion in lost spending, $ 451 million in government tax losses and $ 234 million in tax losses for cities and towns,” Casey told the panel . “We’d like to work with you to put heads safely and responsibly in beds and get that money back by ultimately surpassing pre-pandemic levels.”

Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, called on lawmakers to push for the release of $ 4 million in marketing funds contained in an economic development bill approved last year. She said, “Timing is of the essence.”

Sheridan has also asked Governor Charlie Baker’s administration to apply for federal tourism grants and increase funding for regional tourism offices, which have remained unchanged for several years.

Mark Fuller, Undersecretary of Undersecretary for Business Development in the Executive Bureau for Housing and Economic Development, admitted that the tourism sector has seen great success.

“Tourism was particularly disrupted by COVID-19, and travel and tourism as a whole, as well as our cultural institutions, were particularly hard hit,” he told the panel.

Fuller said state and federal government grants and loans had boosted thousands of businesses, but he recognized the long road to recovery.

“We are aware of the challenges they face when trying to get back up and running,” he said.

While overall tourism spending is still “depressed”, there is optimism in polls showing that many Americans are anxious to travel again.

“So people are looking to the future and hoping to travel safely again and that would bring back some tourism activity that is badly needed,” Fuller said.

The urge to attract more visitors, of course, comes from public health officials warning of a renewed spike in COVID-19 infections. Many public health experts are calling on states, including Massachusetts, to slow the reopening process until more people are vaccinated.

Even so, tourism officials say they want details on when the crowd restrictions will be lifted for concerts and other large venues so regional councils can start planning summer events.

“We need to start moving the needle on these announcements and the ability to collect safely,” said Sheridan.

Christian M. Wade reports on the Massachusetts Statehouse for the North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhi.com