When tourists think of Connecticut, picket-fenced houses, fall foliage and Yale may be the first things that come to mind. But the democratic candidate for state governor, Dan Malloy, says marketers are needed to make these and other aspects of life in the Constitution State more appealing to visitors.
The Connecticut Mirror reports that Malloy announced last night that he intends to start spending more marketing dollars on promoting tourism if elected. “Connecticut’s tourism and hospitality industry is a major driver of economic activity. If we can make better targeted and more effective investment in this sector, it will pay our state back in countless ways,” the newspaper quotes the gubernatorial candidate as saying.
Malloy explained that the current $19.01 billion state budget currently allocates just a token $1 dollar for statewide marketing. Before the recession, Connecticut had invested more than $4 million per year on state tourism promotion, and then it ended marketing funds last fiscal year.
Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Malloy hopes to invest at least $15 million in marketing Connecticut to travelers. He suggests these funds will come from shifting priorities and increasing fees on rental cars. Thus, East Coast-based marketers will want to closely follow the progress of this election – a win for Malloy could provide ample job opportunities.
Marketers based in the Southwest may be happy to learn they need not wait for an electoral vote to decide whether job opportunities will come. CBS News reports that earlier this month, Arizona officials approved plans to boost statewide marketing initiatives to promote tourism to combat the state’s controversial immigration laws.
