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November 2019

Dear Colleagues,  
 
We have much to be thankful for here in Massachusetts. This month we celebrate Thanksgiving, a cherished national holiday with roots in Bay State history.

In this month’s MA Spotlight, Indian Affairs Commission’s Jim Peters shares his thoughts on Thanksgiving and his Native American heritage, and talks about upcoming Plymouth 400 activities in 2020.

We have a busy season ahead, with international opportunities in Ireland, Germany, Japan and South Korea.  Massport has more good news about a new Boston-Vienna direct route on Austrian Airlines, and a DC-Martha’s Vineyard direct route on JetBlue.

Finally, read about a cool new logo from the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, just in time for the holidays!

Sincerely,

 Keiko Matsudo Orrall
 Executive Director

 

 

Industry Spotlight
Jim Peters
 
Telling the Native American Story in Massachusetts 
Jim Peters is a member of the Mashpee Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation. He serves as executive director of the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs and is member of the Plymouth 400 Commission.  We spoke with Jim about Thanksgiving and the experience of Native Americans in Massachusetts. ...Read more

 

 

International News

International Opportunities:
Aer Lingus Irish Roadshow — February 11-14, 2020
Discover New England and MOTT invite you to participate in the 2020 Aer Lingus roadshow this February 11 – 14, 2020.  This annual, multi-city travel agent roadshow is for U.S. destinations with direct service to Ireland on Aer Lingus.  The roadshow visits the key cities of Belfast, Dublin, and Cork.

Ireland remains a priority market for Massachusetts, which maintains 5% of market share to the U.S. and has direct service to Boston Logan International Airport.  Western Massachusetts is easily accessible as well, with direct service from Dublin to Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT. This is a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with Irish travel trade in this important international market.

Cost to attend: $1,500 per delegate. Travel expenses are on own.

Please contact Lori Harnois at Discover New England for more details.
 
ITB Berlin – March 4 – 8, 2020
Berlin, Germany – ITB Berlin is the world’s largest travel and tourism industry show. ITB exhibitors and trade visitors represent all sectors of the international travel and tourism industry: Leisure, Business, Incentive, Meetings and Conventions, Health, Adventure, Education and Study.  Join the Discover New England booth this year for the 3-day trade show to meet directly with tour operators, airlines, and media focused on the German market.

Participation Fee: $1,750 – Travel expenses on own

Please contact Lori Harnois for more information. 
 
Sales Mission to Japan & South Korea – April 6-10, 2020
Tokyo, Japan & Seoul, South Korea — Discover New England will host a sales mission to Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, South Korea. The mission will consist of a mix of in-company trainings and one-on-one appointment style workshops, as well as market briefings and seminar/luncheon for 50 key tour operators. 

Participation fee: $3,000 per person – Travel expenses on own. Limited availability.

Contact Shoko Hirao for more information.
 
Discover New England Annual Summit — May 11-12, 2020
Bethel, Maine — The only New England travel trade event where New England hospitality businesses are able to meet directly with international tour operators and receptive operators who arrange trips for tens of thousands of international travelers annually. Each year, DNE hosts international tour operators and US receptive operators. These individuals meet with New England tourism representatives from lodging properties, attractions, destination marketing organizations and state tourism offices to learn about travel products, establish relationships and initiate contracts for both group and foreign independent travelers (FIT).

Cost to Attend: Early bird registration is $795 per person and includes all DNE Summit meals and networking events. Early bird Exhibitor registration is $1,195 and includes registration for one person.

As of February 21, 2020, standard rate will be $895 per person and Exhibitor table standard rate will be $1,295 (includes one-person registration).

For more information, please visit: www.discovernewengland.org/dne-summit
 
IPW 2020 – May 30 – June 3, 2020
IPW, the leading international inbound travel trade show for U.S. destinations, takes place this year in Las Vegas, Nevada from May 30-June 3, 2020. In 2020, IPW will have more than 1,300 exhibitor booths held by U.S. suppliers of USA travel products and destinations and more than 6,200 attendees, including 1,300 international and domestic travel buyers and 500 journalists representing more than 70 countries.

Early bird rates for registration end on November 22, 2019.

If you are interested in participating as a delegate in the Massachusetts booth at IPW, or are planning to have a booth of your own, please contact Annie Thompson.
 
International News:
Brand USA Korea Senior-Executive Travel Trade FAM: October 2019
In conjunction with the new Seoul-Boston flight that launched in April 2019, MOTT and the GBCVB hosted a travel trade FAM of key senior executives of Korea’s leading tour operators, the top sellers of the USA. Below, the delegation is pictured at the John Harvard statue at Harvard University along with Trademark Tours (one of the local hosts for this FAM). Thank you to all who made it a success!
 
International MOTT Press Result (Germany): Mitteldeutsche - Michael Heinrich
With a print run of 180,000 and an audience reach of 500,000 German-speaking readers, German journalist Michael Heinrich’s articles Grey Lady and Moby Dick  ß-Link highlighted to PDF  in Mitteldeutsche Zeitung explore coastal Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Whale Trail, including New Bedford, Provincetown, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Thank you to the local hosts and Regional Tourism Councils for helping to make this FAM a success!
 

 

 


By the Numbers


Lodging Data for U.S. & Massachusetts: September 2019 vs. September 2018

  • The Occupancy Rate across the U.S. for September 2019 (67.4%) decreased by 0.9% compared to September 2018. The Occupancy Rate in MA (76.1%) decreased by 3.7% compared to September 2018.
  •  In the U.S., Rooms Sold grew by 1.2% to 108.5 million. Rooms Sold in MA totaled 2.1 million, a decrease of 1.3%.
  •  The Average Daily Rate in the U.S. of $131.93 in September, 2019 was a 0.6% increase. In MA, ADR growth was 2.3% to $207.87.
  • Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar) decreased by 0.3% in the U.S. to $88.91, while in MA there was a decline in RevPar of 1.4% to $158.17.
  • Room Revenue in the U.S. totaled $14.3 billion, up 1.7% from September 2018. In MA, Room Revenue grew by 1.0% to $426.5 million.

 


Lodging Data for U.S. & Massachusetts: Calendar Year to Date September 2019 vs. September 2018
 

  • From January through September of CY 2019, the Occupancy Rate across the U.S. (67.6%) remained the same as in 2018. The Occupancy Rate in MA (70.0%) decreased by 2.0% over the same periods.
  • Rooms Sold in the U.S. totaled 978.3 million, an increase of 2.0%. The MA Rooms Sold increased by 0.4% to 16.5 million.
  • The Average Daily Rate (ADR) in the U.S of $131.92 was a 1.0% increase, which was less than the MA ADR growth of 2.1% to $191.39.
  • Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) increased by 1.0% in the U.S to$ 89.18, and outperformed the 0.1% growth to $134.06 in MA.
  • Room Revenue across the U.S. totaled $129.0 billion, up 3.0%. While in MA, Room Revenue was up 2.5% to $ 3.2 billion.

 

 

Industry News

Restaurant Promotion Commission Meeting – Tuesday, Nov. 26
The second public meeting of the Restaurant Promotion Commission will take place on Tuesday, November 26 from 1-3pm at the Newton Free Library, the Druker Auditorium, 330 Homer Street, Newton, MA 02459. Topics to be covered will include training, development, and retention of the restaurant industry’s workforce.
 
Comments for the Restaurant Promotion Commission’s consideration may be submitted here.  
 
MCCA Board Approves BCEC Expansion 
The Baker-Polito Administration announced plans to pursue an expansion of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in South Boston and to sell the Hynes Convention Center in Back Bay.  Read Press Release here.
 
MA wins Whale of an Award 
The British Guild of Travel Writers International Tourism Awards has awarded the Massachusetts Whale Trail a MERIT Award, confirming it as one of 2019’s top new tourism initiatives in the ‘Wider World’ (outside of Europe) category.  Read more about the award here
 
Cranberry Logo for the Holidays
The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association unveiled its new logo this month.  Read the story here.
 
Tourism Winners from North of Boston
Congratulations to the 2019 Tourism Winners at the recent North of Boston CVB Annual Awards event.


(L-R) Jennifer Durocher, General Manager, Cider Hill Farm (Amesbury); Bob Meehan, Concierge, Beauport Hotel (Gloucester); Paul Gentile, Owner, Gentile Brewing Company (Beverly); Harold Burnham of H.A. Burnham Boatbuilding and Design in Essex and Master Shipwright, Captain and Builder of the Schooner Ardelle (Essex and Gloucester); Ben Lithgow, Assistant Manager of Visitor Services at The House of the Seven Gables (Salem); Briar Forsythe, Owner Bramble Hospitality- Willowdale Estate and Briar Barn inn (Topsfield and Rowley)
 
MetroWest Visitors Bureau Honored
Congratulations to Jill Schindler, Interim Executive Director of the MetroWest Visitors Bureau, who received the “Service above Self” award at the 124th Annual MetroWest Chamber of Commerce Meeting and Gala.

(L-R) Jill Schindler, Senate President Karen Spilka and Chamber President & CEO Jim Giammarinaro.

 

 

Travel News

Austrian Airlines Launches Boston-Vienna Route in March 2020 
The Lufthansa Group announced that Austrian Airlines is launching the very first nonstop flights between Boston and Vienna, Australia, starting on March 29.  Read story here.
 
JetBlue Launches DC-MVY Route in June 2020 
JetBlue is launching a new nonstop service between Washington National (DCA) and Martha’s Vineyard (MVY).  The seasonal service begins June 12, 2020 and runs three days a week, Friday-Saturday-Sunday. Read story here.
 

 

 

Industry Calendar

The next ACT&T meeting takes place on Monday, December 9 at the Massachusetts Transportation Building in Boston.
 
The next MMP meeting takes place on Wednesday, December 11 at the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.

 

 

Massachusetts Film Office
 
For a schedule of film festivals in Massachusetts this month and throughout the year, visit MAfilm.org/.

 

Massachusetts Sports Marketing Office
 
Congratulations to TD Boston Garden in Boston’s historic North End, which unveiled The Hub on Causeway, a new mixed-use retail, hotel and entertainment complex at the home of the Celtics and Bruins.  Read the story here.  

 

 

MOTT Bulletin Board
 
FREE means FREE! 
With so many amazing free things to do in Massachusetts, we created a FREE category listing in our online calendar of events at massvacation.com. Now, you can add your organization’s cost-free events to MOTT’s year-round calendars. Just visit massvacation.com and click on ‘submit your listing’ on the bottom of the homepage. With questions, please reach out to John Alzapiedi
 
50 Great Things to do Under $50 
MOTT’s ‘50 Great Things to do Under $50’ is consistently ranked as one of our most visited web pages each month. To list a special deal offered by your organization, the offer must be valid for a two-month duration and the admission of under $50 must cover either: two adults separately or two adults with two children 12 and under. We are currently accepting ’50 Under $50’ submissions for January/February and March/April 2020. Please send your offers for consideration to Phyllis M. Cahaly
 
Call for Brochures 
Our friends at Lee Premium Outlets/Simon Properties are happy to display your latest brochures, rack cards and travel guides at their very active visitor information center. Please send one box of material to Carolyn Edwards, Area General Manager, Lee Premium Outlets, 17 Premium Outlets Blvd., Lee, MA 02138; 413-243-2063. Thanks to Carolyn Edwards and Lee Premium Outlets for this service, and for storing the material at no charge!

*Header image: Island Creek Oysters, Duxbury, MA

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