[BOSTON, Mass.] - The Massachusetts lodging industry is projected to lose
more than $241 million as a direct result of the tragic events of September
11, according to information released at the Governor's Travel & Tourism
Recovery Task Force meeting held yesterday. The Task Force, which unites
representatives from the hotel, restaurant, and attraction industries; local
and state government officials; and convention and visitor bureaus, meets
weekly to discuss proactive measures to reduce the impact of September 11 on
the state's $12 billion tourism industry. This analysis of the hotel
industry is only the first step in projecting the total economic impact that
the crisis has had on the tourism industry.
Pinnacle Advisory Group, a national hospitality consulting firm
headquartered in Boston, developed the revenue projections for the Task
Force based on a sample survey of lodging properties statewide. Hotel room
revenues for the calendar year are projected to decline by 10.9% from $2.21
billion to $1.97 billion. The 10.9% decline is in addition to a 3.6%
decline that had already been projected as a result of the economic
slowdown.
Actual Hotel Revenue for 2000: $2,295,469,751
Projected Hotel Revenue for 2001 (pre-Sept. 11):
$2,212,843,834 (down 3.6%)
Projected Hotel Revenue for 2001 (post-Sept. 11):
$1,971,121,794 (down 10.9%)
Massachusetts Tourism Industry, page 2 of 2
Special Offers on massvacation.com
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) announced plans for
the first phase of an unprecedented Fall advertising campaign designed to
attract visitors to the Bay State, while remaining sensitive to the needs of
today's travelers. The program includes advertising and promotional efforts
that will encourage Massachusetts residents and travelers from out-of-state
to visit MOTT's web site, massvacation.com, for information on special
offers, value-added promotions, and packages at hotels, attractions, and
restaurants statewide.
Initiatives included in the $225,000 advertising campaign:
- Radio advertising, including traffic
sponsorships, in "easy drive" markets
- Banner advertising on news media web sites
including Boston.com, NYTimes.com, and CTnow.com (the Hartford Courant's web
site)
- National public relations and promotional
efforts including a partnership with Amtrak
"The Massachusetts tourism industry is dedicated to protecting the 143,000
tourism related jobs that our residents depend on," said Mary Jane McKenna,
Executive Director of the MOTT. "Fortunately, 69% of Massachusetts visitors
drive to the Bay State from states such as New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The combined efforts of the state and the
regional tourism councils will help soften the long-term impacts on our
industry."
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism is the state agency dedicated
to promoting Massachusetts as a friendly, family-oriented destination set in
the midst of rich historical and cultural tradition. Tourism is recognized
as the Commonwealth's third largest industry, welcoming nearly 27 million
people annually. Visit massvacation.com for attraction, lodging, and event
information.
