HYANNIS – An effort by state tourism and business leaders to restore marketing funds cut from the budget by Governor Baker has apparently fallen on deaf ears.
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Wendy Northcross said lawmakers and the Governor’s office has been lobbied about the value of travel and tourism but nothing seems to be resonating on Beacon Hill.
Northcross said the governor’s office is doubting the data which emphasizes the benefits generated from the tourism industry in the state, and specifically on Cape Cod and the Islands.
“I’ll just be blunt. I just don’t think they understand the extent of the jobs that go from corner to corner in this state,” she said. “I don’t think they understand the data. They’re just not tourism people to begin with so their learning curve is much higher.”
Northcross said the state’s market share when it comes to tourism dollars compared to the rest of the country is falling. The share has dropped from 2.35 percent to 2.13 percent.
“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you compare it against the number of dollars that should have been spent here then we are talking about a lot of money,” she said.
Northcross said the cuts could affect the region is other ways other than just marketing.
She said it would be difficult to keep open the state-run visitor centers in the region at the Bourne and Sangamore Bridges and on the Mid Cape Highway.
“I’m just assuming that we will be unable to open one of our highway visitor centers this summer, the one by the Bourne Bridge,” she said. “There just won’t be any cash there from the state to run their visitor center.”
The House of Representatives recently passed a supplemental budget which did not include any tourism marketing funds.
“They are obviously taking a very cautious approach to the budget – the supplemental budget,” Northcross said.
The supplemental budget would just restore some of the cuts make by Gov. Baker in December.
The cuts slashed $7 million of tourism funding across the state, which effectively wiped out the Chamber’s spring and summer marketing campaign.
Northcross said there could be another round of changes to the supplemental budget.
There is also a concern that the fiscal year 2018 budget, which is currently being constructed, would also leave out the tourism funding.
“That budget that starts in July really will affect summer beyond that in 2018,” Northcross said.
Northcross said that they are fighting for their summer business this year and to get the message through.
“We’re like a cash cow for the state of Massachusetts – one of the few line items that generates revenue for the state,” she said.
Northcross said tourism officials will be meeting with officials in Boston this week.
“We are going to be meeting with key leadership and trying to get the message across about the value of travel and tourism,” Northcross said. “It’s a heavily taxed industry.”
The Chamber is also asking members to send their own message to elected officials expressing concern.
Officials will continue to lobby until the governor’s and house and senate recommended budgets are compiled.
Northcross said they will have to find ways to keep their website active with visitors.
By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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