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Richardson's
Candy Kitchen, Deerfield
February 2021
Dear MOTT Partners,
Hope you are doing well and finding ways to enjoy
our beautiful Commonwealth this winter. We are always looking for
unique opportunities to share with our tourism partners and hope
you will continue to reach out with the exciting things in your
region.
Our statewide campaign, My Local MA, is going strong
and is being amplified by a new Travel and Tourism Recovery Grant
program designed to enhance tourism recovery with marketing. We
have had enormous interest and are excited about the collaboration
and partnership we see happening around the state. See details
below.
Health and safety remain foremost on our minds as we continue to
fight the pandemic and work toward recovery and reopening in the
months ahead. Thank you for your continued commitment to our
industry and for your optimism during these trying times. Please
feel free to reach out if we can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Keiko Matsudo Orrall
Executive Director
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Massachusetts
Reopening News
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My
Local MA
My
Local MA Campaign on Instagram
Have you heard? The Visit MA Instagram is going local for 2021.
Over the next few months, you'll see Instagram posts and stories
related to supporting small businesses and the My Local MA
campaign. Follow along at @VisitMA to stay in the know. Tag
your posts with #mylocalMA for a chance to be featured on the
Instagram page. You can find more information and resources at Lovemylocalma.com. And please,
don't forget to #MaskupMA!
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Industry
News
Travel
and Tourism Recovery Grants
The Travel and Tourism Recovery Grant Program is a new
marketing effort to support the My Local MA campaign, enhance
tourism recovery, and have the potential to increase non-resident
visitation. It is funded at $1,000,000 through the Tourism
Trust Fund. This competitive funding grant opens January 22,
2021, with applications due February 12, 2021. Awards will be
announced in March.
Any public, nonprofit agency, 501(c)3, 501(c)6, which has been in
operation in Massachusetts for at least two consecutive years since
January 2019 and meets other eligibility criteria can apply. All
projects must fall within one of these project types: marketing
content development; website development; branding development;
visitor/consumer outreach; digital advertising; language
translations; posters; banners; signage; billboards; photography;
and B-roll video footage. For more information and to apply, click here.
Community
One Stop for Growth
EOHED recently launched its ‘Community One Stop for Growth’
program, a single application portal that allows municipalities,
public entities, community non-profit groups and private companies
to access 10 different grant programs with a single application. Details here.
Barbara
Erickson, R.I.P.
The travel and tourism community extends its sincere condolences to
the family, friends and staff of Trustees of Reservations President
& CEO Barbara Erickson, who passed away in January. Barbara was
a visionary and leader whose dedication to open space in
Massachusetts will be appreciated for generations to come. Details here.
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MOTT
Opportunities
Media
Outreach
MOTT is preparing its media outreach on March celebrations such as
Women’s History Month and Irish Heritage Month, plus ongoing winter
and spring activities. Please contact Michael
Quinlin to share ideas or to get more details.
Made in
Massachusetts
The phrase ‘Made in Massachusetts’ refers to a strong local brand
that embodies quality, uniqueness, popularity and very often,
iconic status. Do you have a product or company Made in
Massachusetts? If so, please send us details and we can
promote it in our marketing materials to residents and visitors
alike. Please send your submissions to Phyllis
M. Cahaly.
Call
for Photography
MOTT is always on the lookout for year-round stunning tourism
photography of Massachusetts to share on our social sites. If you
would like to submit some of your favorite royalty and copyright
free images, please send to Phyllis M. Cahaly for
consideration. Please include the name of the photo, the location
(city/town) and the photography credit.
List
Your Business on VisitMA.com
VisitMA.com has a business
database that we are expanding as part of the My Local MA
campaign. It is easy to be part of VisitMA.com: just go to https://business.visitma.com/,
where you can sign on as a new business, or update your information
if you are already registered on the site. Please contact our Web Manager with any
questions.
50
Great Things to do Under $50
MOTT is currently accepting listings for MOTT’s ’50 Under $50’ March/April
& May/June editions. Here’s the criteria: the offer must
be under $50 (so up to $49.99, tax included) and cover BOTH:
1.) admission for two adults and 2.) admission for two adults with
two children age 12 and under. Please send your submissions for
consideration to Phyllis M. Cahaly.
Regional
Tourism Council Bulletin
The February issue of the RTC’s monthly bulletin is available to read here.
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By the
Numbers
Massachusetts
Lodging Results: CYs 2020 v. 2019 through December
- The Lodging Industry in Massachusetts
started off CY 2020 with substantial gains over 2019.
However, it was then followed by sharp declines caused by the
COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Both Rooms Sold and Room Revenue increased
by nearly 8% for January/February 2020, compared to the same
two months in 2019.
- In MA, the COVID-19 Pandemic led to a
nearly 80% drop in Rooms Sold in both April and May 2020,
compared to same months in 2019.
- During the summer months, the MA lodging
industry monthly year-over-year decreases began to
improve.
- In December 2020, the Lodging Industry
Rooms Sold and Room Revenue decreases over December
2019, were 51% and 67% respectively.
- The much sharper decline in Room Revenue
was caused by 32% decline in Room Rate to $97.41 in December
2020 from $143.06 in December 2019.
Mass,
U.S., and Northeastern States Lodging Results: CYs 2020 v. 2019
- Lodging industry losses across the U.S. for
2020 v. 2019 totaled over $83 Billion (49.4%).
- In Massachusetts, losses totaled $2.7
Billion, a 65.5% decline.
- In the other New England states combined,
losses totaled $1.6 Billion, a 46.6% decline.
- In New Jersey, losses totaled $1.6 Billion,
a 49.6% decline.
- In New York, losses totaled $9.1 Billion, a
68.2% decline.
- In Pennsylvania, losses totaled $2.2
Billion, a 52.4% decline.
- The higher percentage losses occurred in
states (MA & NY) where the largest concentration of Rooms
Revenue comes from Urban Areas.
- In MA & NY, between 60% and 70% of the
(state) room revenue originates in the Greater Boston and New
York City areas respectively.
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MOTT
Contacts
MA Office of Travel and Tourism staffers are working remotely.
Please see contact information:
John
Alzapiedi, Web Manager, john.alzapiedi@mass.gov
Phyllis
Cahaly, Director of Partnership Marketing, phyllis.cahaly@mass.gov
Tony
D’Agostino, Research Director, tony.dagostino@mass.gov
Daniela De
Caro-Heavey, Special Projects Manager, daniela.decaro@mass.gov
Keiko
Matsudo Orrall, Executive Director, keiko.m.orrall@mass.gov
Michael
Quinlin, Director, Commonwealth Marketing Office, michael.quinlin@mass.gov
Maria
Speridakos, Director of International PR, maria.speridakos@mass.gov
Marc
Zappulla, Grants Coordinator, marc.zappulla@mass.gov
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