Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism New Bedford Tourism Summit, May 22, 2018
MASSACHUSETTS: THE REGIONS Marketing Regions Regional Tourism Councils
MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM: MISSION STATEMENT Mission To promote Massachusetts as both a leisure and business travel destination for domestic and international markets and to contribute to the growth of the Commonwealth s economy. Strategic Guiding Principles Initiatives that identify iconic, seasonal, innovative and regional thematic assets. Promote collaboration among stakeholders, for greater economic development. Maintain a relationship with all New England states to promote the region. Vision Massachusetts is a desirable year-round destination with an innovative and sustainable visitor industry
MASSACHUSETTS: PARTNERSHIP National US Travel Association National Council of State Tourism Directors National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO) International Brand USA Foreign Diplomatic Consular Corps MOTT International Representatives World Tourism Organization Regional Discover New England New England Inn Keepers Association New England Museum Association New England Bus Association New England Association of Parks & Attractions Local Government Agencies/Business Groups Regional Tourism Councils Municipalities & Chambers of Commerce Massport/ Logan International Airport Worcester Regional Airport Flynn Cruiseport Boston MA. Convention Center Authority MA Department of Agriculture MA Department of Conservation & Recreation MA Department of Transportation MA Cultural Council MA Lodging & Restaurant Associations National Park Service (NPS)
MASSACHUSETTS : SEAPORT ECONOMY Massachusetts has 9 historic ports, including New Bedford & Fall River. 78 Coastal Communities and 192 miles of Seacoast Seaport Economic Council (SEC) supports infrastructure upgrades in our coastal cities Recent SEC grants for New Bedford HDC Central Command Center and upgrades to five New Bedford piers. 5
MOTT: PARTNERSHIP CULTURAL DISTRICTS Main Page Single Page 6
MOTT: THEMATIC MARKETING 7
MASSACHUSETTS: INTERNATIONAL MARKETING PROGRAM International Representation in 11 Regions Canada China United Kingdom France Germany Ireland Italy Japan Scandinavia Australia/New Zealand India International Marketing Activities Public Relations Trade Relations Familiarization Trips Trade Shows Sales Missions Marketing Partnerships
MOTT: PROMOTING SPECIAL SPECIAL EVENTS New Bedford JazzFest Summer Sound Series Cape Verdean Parade Juneteenth Family Celebration New Bedford Folk Festival 9
NEW BEDFORD SIGNATURE CELEBRATIONS The Frederick Douglass 200 Celebration takes place throughout 2018; The 1,275 foot long painting, Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage Round the World comes to the Whaling Museum this summer; The historic schooner Ernestina, undergoing renovations, returns to the New Bedford waterfront in 2018. 10
ABOUT THE TRAIL The Massachusetts Whale Trail is a oneof-a-kind collection of sites, stories and adventures 12
IT ALL STARTED WITH AN IDEA THE AHA MOMENT Whales + Massachusetts? We might be onto something WHY A TRAIL? It s a great way to connect regions through a thematic experience JOINING FORCES Collaborating with tourism partners and stakeholders 13
THE MAKINGS OF A TRAIL ASSETS Worked with RTCs and DMOs to define the points of interest: museums + attractions, whale watching, historic sites + tours VISUAL IDENTITY Created a signature look and feel Massachusetts Whale Trail with custom illustrated logo, map, and icons 14
THE MAKINGS OF A TRAIL whaletrailma.com Landing page: google style map, listings of assets, link to board Inspiration board: itineraries, blogs, 1-pager, etc. #whaletrailma Defined hashtag for use across all social media channels 15
MAKING A SPLASH LAUNCH AT THE DNE SUMMIT 400+ attendees from travel industry, with strong international presence from 15 countries DNE FAM trips included Massachusetts Whale Trail points of interest Branded collateral and favors distributed at the event Press release timed with the announcement 16
MAKING A SPLASH MEDIA COVERAGE As of early May, the press release received 236 Associated Press pick-ups, eight feature stories, and an op-ed reaching a collective 51 million people SOCIAL MEDIA They like it! Followers showing their support with high engagements: likes, shares, and comments 17
WHAT S NEXT THERE S MORE TO IT Explore additional tourism connections and research & conservation efforts CONTENT AND COLLATERAL Continue to build the library of content and develop print/promo items TAILORED PITCHING Focused media outreach and influencer experiences 18
GET INVOLVED WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU You re the experts, share your thoughts with MOTT, RTCs, or DMOs. PACKAGES, DEALS, PROMOS Solo offers or partner packages can provide incentives for consumers to visit your business and explore others! SPREAD THE WORD Leverage the Massachusetts Whale Trail to promote your business! 19
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP 20