Editorial: Selling Central Mass.
Tourism is a great economic driver, just ask the Berkshires and Cape Cod.
So it's no wonder that greater emphasis has been recently placed within Worcester and Central Massachusetts on capitalizing on the region's assets to draw tourists.
But there's a key ingredient missing in some of these plans for drawing tourists - an ingredient pointed out recently by Peter Greenberg, travel editor for the Today Show, when he spoke at a Worcester Regional Chamber breakfast.
That ingredient is a story.
Greenberg's opinion - with which we concur - is that this region needs to "tell its story." In other words, we need to identify what makes Central Massachusetts - or Worcester for that matter - different from Anywhere Else, U.S.A.
Take the Berkshires and Cape Cod, for example. Utter the Berkshires, and images of majestic, pumpkin-colored mountains immediately come to mind, followed by the cozy quaintness of artsy towns like Stockbridge. Mention Cape Cod, and folks immediately think of sandy beaches and gray-shingled houses.
Now, what comes to mind when you say Central Massachusetts? Not much.
And that's not because Central Massachusetts doesn't have a lot to offer. We do.
But unfortunately, for one reason or another, Central Massachusetts has never formed its own identity. Instead it has remained that nebulous middle ground between Boston and the Berkshires.
But that was the old Central Massachusetts. The new Central Massachusetts is going to change that.
So, we ask, what should the Central Massachusetts story be? Undoubtedly there are many to tell. There's the fact that the region was the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed, that hardworking guy that spread his love of apples across the nation. Another story is the fact that the region is home to such high-tech powerhouses as EMC Corp. and Evergreen Solar. We've got industry hubs for fiber optics, plastics and biotech. And, oh yeah, we've got a Nobel Prize winner, too.
There is no shortage of good stories to tell.
One possible over-arching theme is to label Central Massachusetts as the industrious center of the state. Notice we used the word "industrious" rather than the somewhat dusty "industrial." Part of what's been holding Central Massachusetts back is the perception that it's just an old industrial center filled with vacant mills. We've got plenty of those for sure, but many are filling with start-ups, and our economy is chugging along, thanks to its industrious and innovative residents. Central Massachusetts is where people make good things, and live good lives.
Once the Central Massachusetts story is determined, it's not enough to put a slick slogan on a couple of T-shirts sold at Union Station in Worcester. It has to become part of the fabric of the community. That means everyone - every last person that lives and works in Central Massachusetts - has to buy into that story and be a good ambassador in spreading its gospel. That way, the next time Peter Greenberg comes to the region and asks a cab driver what this place is all about, he'll get a memorable story or two about what really puts us on the map rather than just a blank stare.
What story do you have to tell about Central Massachusetts? We want to know. Send your story to editorial@wbjournal.com. We'll post the best ones on our web site.
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