Massachusetts Welcomes Tourists to Visit in the Off-Season
The Healey-Driscoll Administration, along with the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) and Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT), today announced $6,000,000 in awards from the Travel and Tourism Season Extension (TTSE) Grant Program to promote tourism to Massachusetts in the off-season.
Funds from the TTSE program were divided evenly among six tourism regions in the Commonwealth to ensure geographic diversity across the Commonwealth. The six regions, representing 16 regional tourism councils, include Western Mass, Greater Boston, South of Boston, Cape & Islands, North of Boston and Central Mass.
The Travel and Tourism Season Extension Grant Program is funded through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency. The goal of the program is to strengthen the Massachusetts economy and the state’s tourism industry by supporting regional marketing projects that promote travel and tourism attractions between the months of November through April, known as the “shoulder season.”
“These grants will help support the travel and tourism industries that are integral to our state’s local economies – from the Cape and Islands to Western Mass,” said EOHED Secretary Yvonne Hao. “Massachusetts has so much to offer visitors year-round and I’m pleased this funding will help lift up the history, culture, and attractions that make our state a destination for tourists across the globe.”
“The Travel and Tourism Season Extension (TTSE) grants support regional marketing projects that promote travel and tourism attractions between the months of November through April, known as the ‘shoulder season,’” said MOTT Executive Director Keiko Matsudo Orrall. “We have an amazing state to showcase, and these funds will enhance tourism recovery during this important part of the year.”
Eligible uses include marketing content development, website development and optimization, visitor/consumer outreach, digital advertising, language translations, signage, photography and videography, itineraries, and other specific marketing initiatives. These marketing projects will encourage experiences that are not necessarily season-dependent and can be sustained for more than one annual cycle.
MOTT SCHEDULE OF EVENTS TO CELEBRATE TTSE GRANT AWARDS
Monday, March 27 at 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 Noon, Western MA:
Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau*; Hampshire County Tourism and Visitors Bureau (Greater Northampton CC); Franklin County Chamber of Commerce; Mohawk Trail Association; 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance
Location: Brooks Building at the Eastern States Exposition, 135 Memorial Ave, W. Springfield
Tuesday, March 28 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. , Greater Boston:
Boston Public Market Association*; Rose Kennedy Greenway; A Better City
Location: Boston Public Market, 136 Blackstone Street, Boston
Monday April 3 at 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. , South of Boston:
Plymouth County Development Council, Inc.*(See Plymouth);SE MA CVB (One South Coast Chamber); USA Thanksgiving Celebration
Location: Town Hall’s Board of Selectmen Courtroom, 26 Court Street, Plymouth
Monday, April 3 at 1:30 p.m. -2:30 p.m., Cape Cod & The Islands:
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Inc.*; Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce; Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce
Location: Cape Cod Chamber Offices, 5 Patti Page Way, Centerville
Tuesday, April 4 at 1 p.m.-2 p.m., Central MA:
Worcester Regional Tourism and Visitors Bureau* (Discover Central Massachusetts); Visit North Central; MetroWest Visitors Bureau
Location: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester
Thursday, April 6 at 11 a.m.- Noon, North of Boston:
North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau*; Greater Merrimack CVB; Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce
Location: House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby Street, Salem
*Indicates the lead applicant.
About Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT)
MOTT’s mission is to promote Massachusetts as a leisure and business travel destination for domestic and international markets and to contribute to the growth of the Commonwealth’s economy. For information about visiting Massachusetts, go to VisitMA.com.