A mixture of caution and restlessness will turn Connecticut into a booming travel destination this summer, predicts Connecticut Interim Director of Tourism Christine Castonguay.
Castonguay joined WNHH FM’s “Municipal Voice,” produced and hosted by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, to discuss why more tourists might say, “Yes to Connecticut.”
The slogan marks the Office of Tourism’s newest campaign and emerges from research on existing trends.
“We had almost 60 percent say, ‘Yes, once I am vaccinated. I am going to be out enjoying tourism activities,’” she said. “But the interesting thing to note is people also wanted to stay within 100 miles of home.”
In a reversal of the old adage that Connecticut is uniquely situated between New York City and Boston, the state’s location might be the selling point.
“It provides ample opportunity for everybody to travel less and enjoy more,” Castonguay said.
The tourism industry brings in $15.5 billion annually to Connecticut and supports 123,000 jobs, according to the department.
Despite Covid-19’s hit to the industry in 2020, industry leaders adapted. Measures like outdoor dining and online art galleries allowed businesses and institutions to stay connected to the public while they weathered the pandemic.
“[The key was] communicating the cleaning protocols that were in place, the social distancing, the mask wearing, the sanitation, but also a lot of the automated options, checking into your lodging facility via mobile phone or purchasing tickets online. Cutting down on those touch points is what brought us here,” Castonguay said.
Some of these measures may be here to stay. Some social distancing, hand sanitizer stations and plexiglass barriers will all be part of the social landscape in the coming months and maybe years.
In the near term, there are programs like “Connecticut Drinks On Us.” The Office of Tourism, the Governor’s Office, and the Connecticut Restaurant Association connected to give folks a free drink when they show they are vaccinated.
Vaccination clinics themselves are going to be a feature at local institutions. For example, the Stafford Motor Speedway and Hartford Yard Goats offered vaccination clinics for guests.
“We’re starting to see some of those fairs return, we’re starting to see outdoor music festivals, and also some indoor theater coming back online,” she said. “And that really feels so good as a Connecticut resident.”
For those that want to head outdoors, Castonguay highlighted ParkConneCT. The program offers fare-free shuttle service to state parks. Weekend Wheels is another free bus service on Saturdays and Sundays. Both programs run through Labor Day.
“We need to support our local restaurants, to go to Pomfret or small towns and walk the main street and the town green, shop at the local boutiques, go to the local coffee shop, go to those local attractions and really continue to support the economic recovery here in Connecticut,” she said.
“That is really, at the end of the day, what we’re all trying to do.”
" Castonguay highlighted ParkConneCT. The program offers fare-free shuttle service to state parks. Weekend Wheels is another free bus service on Saturdays and Sundays. Both programs run through Labor Day."
There are a lot of CT residents who don't know about these programs, and lots of new CT residents who don't know all of the state parks and museums and fairs and attraction in the state and which are open and what their hours are. Plus with the pandrmuc lots of places were closed and people don't know if they have been reopened. The State Tourism department should do a bunch of newspaper and tv advertising to promote the free transportation and the places to see and things to do around CT. (Make sure you have Spanish language spots on the Latin media options.)