State needs to spend more on tourism marketing, officials say
Mohegan — State and local tourism officials convened Thursday at Mohegan Sun to discuss marketing strategies and how best to advocate for funding.
Data indicates what’s at stake.
According to a study completed last year by Tourism Economics, a research company, tourism is a major driver of Connecticut’s economy. In 2023, the firm found 68 million tourists visited the state, generating $11 billion in sales, $1.2 billion in state and local taxes and $18.5 billion in total economic activity.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, the keynote speaker at the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s 2025 Tourism Conference, cited the numbers while addressing an Uncas Ballroom audience of more than 200 people connected to the region’s tourism and hospitality industries.
What’s more, she said, tourism provides 83,000 jobs in the tourism industry and is indirectly responsible for another 40,000 jobs in other industries such as business services, education and health care.
Why then, conference attendees asked, doesn’t the state provide more funding for statewide tourism promotion?
“I know you want to see more dollars put into the industry,” Bysiewicz said. Call your legislator.”
One conference attendee who’ll likely be making such calls is Robert Murdock, president of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, an organization that works with partners to bring conventions and sports events to venues throughout Connecticut. It’s funded through the state Office of Tourism.
Without an increase in the state’s $4.5 million budget for statewide marketing, “we go away,” Murdock said during a question-and-answer period following Bysiewicz’s speech. Gov. Ned Lamont’s biennial budget proposal would keep the marketing budget at the current level in each of the next two fiscal years, 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Murdock, in a phone interview after the conference, said his organization has booked 110 pending events and is working on another 200, all of which could be in jeopardy if the bureau goes out of operation.
“Right now, there’s no designated group that would take over what we do,” he said.
Murdock said he expects to testify next week on behalf of proposed legislation that would divert to tourism a portion of the revenue generated by the additional 1% tax on restaurant bills. Another legislative proposal would divert to tourism a portion of the revenue from the so-called occupancy tax on hotel room stays.
Other conference attendees expressed concern about what the state has done to prepare for a 2026 commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the country’s founding. Events surrounding the commemoration could draw many visitors, a boon to the tourism industry in the Northeast, particularly history-rich New England.
Bysiewicz noted that a special state commission has been appointed to plan for a 250th anniversary celebration.
Tony Sheridan, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s president and chief executive officer, said he was pleased with the turnout at the conference and the participation of all commerce chambers in the region, which hasn’t always been the case.
“Our goal has been to get eastern Connecticut to speak as one voice in asking for the state’s support and I think we’ve done that this year,” he said.
Asked what’s brought the groups together, Sheridan said, “Everybody’s scared.”
“The (pandemic) recovery money is drying up and with the state budget flat-funded, this is going to be a tough year,” he said. “Compared to New York, we’re not even funding tourism.”
In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Connecticut’s $4.5 million tourism marketing budget ranked below those of neighboring states, including New York ($60 million), Massachusetts ($16.7 million) and Rhode Island ($7.1 million).
“The big thing we’re trying to do is get the administration to understand the value of tourism,” Chris Regan, chairman of the state-funded Eastern Regional Tourism District and an owner of Olde Mistick Village in Mystic, said. “That $4.5 million should be $20 million to $25 million.”
Without greater investment, the state and local tourism industry may not be in position to fully take advantage of the opportunities the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament as well as the 250th anniversary will present, Regan said.
“We’re right between New York and Boston, he said, referring to two World Cup venues.
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