Believe in Central Mass.
A positive attitude can go a long way. Simply having good feelings won't prevent a sinking ship from slipping beneath the waves or turn a bad business model into a profitable one, but having faith the path you are in is the right one and investing in continuing that journey can yield tangible results. Stock prices are – in part – based on a belief that companies' leadership, systems and products are best set up to excel in the marketplace. If a company's revenues and profits meet or outperform expectations – based on its history and industry – its stock price goes up; if it doesn't, the stock price goes down.
As a destination, especially for visitors and tourists, Central Massachusetts has lagged behind the Bostons, Cape Cods, Berkshires and Nantuckets of the state. Rightfully so, as those destinations have shaped their marketing pitches over decades, showcasing their charm and many amenities while Central Massachusetts has struggled to form a cohesive narrative for its varied attractions like Old Sturbridge Village, Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Worcester Art Museum. The region lacks a central location for visitors to travel into, and it has never been made entirely clear all these attractions are all within about 25 minutes of downtown Worcester.
Discover Central Massachusetts is a fresh start at marketing the region. Started two years ago out of Destination Worcester and the defunct Central Massachusetts Convention & Visitors Bureau, DCM is working to find a voice for the region – even though Worcester is the only one of its 35 communities actively contributing money to these efforts. Of its $650,000 budget this year, $500,000 came from Worcester, $98,000 from the state and the rest from individual attractions. While a few towns might not care about attracting tourists, DCM needs support from more than one community.
If even half of the remaining 34 communities pitched in an average of $10,000 each (or 1/50th of what Worcester throws in), that would nearly double the state contribution. The problem is the understandably budget-conscious communities – even ones like Auburn and Sturbridge with representatives on the DCM board – want proof DCM is worth the investment. The chicken-and-the-egg issue with this thinking is DCM will have a hard time proving its worth with limited funding and will remain Worcester-centric in its marketing with Worcester kicking in the bulk of its money. Surrounding towns are going to have to take a leap of faith not only will a rising tide lift all boats but an investment in regional marketing will yield positive results for their communities.
Worcester Regional Airport will take a different kind of leap of faith, but nonetheless remains a vital piece of infrastructure in attracting visitors – not just tourists but others like business officials and convention goers. The Massport facility is in the midst of a $32-million upgrade to its landing system, hoping the increased reliability in flights' ability to land will offset airline's hesitations over the high-elevation, out-of-the-way location, as well as a national industry trend of flights moving away from smaller and midsize airports. The move appears to have yielded positive results, as JetBlue says it will start regular flights from Worcester to New York City once the upgrade is complete. Only the market response and airline decision-making will show if this $32 million will lead to sustained growth, but Massport and local officials must continue this level of investment in the facility.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments