New approach to tourism is a step in right direction
If you were to come up with words or phrases to describe Central Massachusetts, “tourist mecca” would likely not make it into a “top 10” list. We're not Orlando or Las Vegas, but we're also not the Kansas and Nebraska plains.
This region has plenty of tourism assets — Old Sturbridge Village and the Worcester Art Museum, to name two destinations — and they and others deserve the support of the Central Massachusetts business community, which stands to benefit from increased tourism spending. That's why the recent decision to form and fund a new tourism promotion agency as part of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce holds promise and should be given an opportunity to work. The new agency, the Worcester Regional Visitors and Tourism Corp., will speak with one voice for Central Massachusetts and focus well beyond Worcester and its surrounding towns. That's the way it should be, since tourism destinations that generate significant levels of outside visitors stand to benefit the city as well.
When it comes to Bay State tourism, Central Massachusetts is merely a supporting player compared with Boston, Cape Cod and the Berkshires. But if effectively marketed, attractions here can grab a good number of out-of-state and international visitors to see many of the highlights Central Massachusetts has to offer.
Yet, while playing second fiddle to the larger tourism areas, there are a few major local events that help put us on the map. Next year, Lake Quinsigamond will host USRowing's Masters National Championships for a third time, which could draw more than 6,000 visitors. And, as it has several times before, the DCU Center will host one of the four regional sectionals of the NCAA Division 1 men's hockey tournament in March.
In addition, sites such as Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston and the Worcester Art Museum all reported gains in attendance from 2013 to 2014.
“It's not Worcester taking it over. It's a collaboration of all the areas here working in concert,” Jeannie Hebert, president of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, told us in our story on Page One of this issue. She pointed out that Worcester has certain resources such as urban destinations that will appeal to visitors. “We are going to utilize Worcester for what benefits they have,” she said.
Growth in tourism needs more than just the “one voice” leading the marketing effort. It needs support through further economic development, especially in the form of more hotels in Greater Worcester. Fortunately, that's happening, with plans in the works for three hotels in the city's downtown area. It also needs better transportation infrastructure. Some of that is underway, with renewed efforts to increase train traffic between Boston and Worcester that can make it easier to attract more visitors from the east. And, when the rowing championships take place next year, fans who watch from the Burns Bridge will be standing on a new, six-lane span that will facilitate traffic flow between Worcester and Shrewsbury and offer more spectator space.
Any effort that stands to benefit the broader Central Massachusetts economy needs to be supported by a wide number of constituencies, and it looks like the teamwork necessary to pull this effort off is largely in place. The approach to centralize these efforts at the chamber looks like the right call. We hope it bears fruit.
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