Tourism Update

/in , /by

The Chamber’s tourism arm, Visit North Central Massachusetts (VNCM), has developed its annual marketing plan to promote the region. As a result of the pandemic, VNCM plans to strategically shift its marketing resources in FY2021 to focus on helping our regional economy recover quickly and effectively from the disruption. The restaurants, retailers, hoteliers, farms and attractions that comprise our local visitor industry have been among the hardest hit by the disruption caused by this health crisis and will take the longest to recover. Marketing strategies in FY2021 will focus on Shop/Eat/Stay/Explore Local promotional efforts that encourage companies and residents to support local businesses during the recovery.  Marketing efforts will also target the regional drive market within a 250-mile radius, including key markets like Boston, Southern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island highlighting our advantages and safety.  Data and research from our economic development planning process suggests that we are well positioned to potentially benefit from the new environment and changing consumer demands, given our rural character, affordability and agricultural heritage. The plan was approved by the Board of Directors and submitted to the Mass Office of Travel and Tourism as part of our annual tourism grant submission. We also presented it to members during the Summer to gather input. It was well received by both MOTT and our members, however we are still waiting on state tourism funding in the state budget.

 

As part of this marketing/recovery plan, we focused our efforts in Q1 with updating our VisitNorthCentral.com website and social media platforms for the “new normal” including developing new locally focused content, developing new messaging, optimizing our site for new searches and utilizing digital and social media channels to promote, connect and engage with consumers. Messaging and themes have been centered around re-opening and supporting our businesses. “When it Matters Most” is being utilized as an overarching theme. It is important that our target audience understands why “spending local” is now more important than ever. Member-focused contests and promotions have also been utilized to drive engagement with messaging focused on the attributes of the region that appeal most to visitors, such as our safety as rural region and abundance of family-oriented activities. As we move into the traditionally busy Fall season and Q2, we plan to ramp up our paid digital advertising to promote the region and local businesses. We plan to focus primarily on digital media for now as it provides the greatest flexibility and allows us to adapt quickly if needed.  As we move into the Spring, we will start to leverage some print advertising. Our media buys will be dependent on the final receipt of our grant funding from the state.

 

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 crisis, VNCM’s participation in several travel shows were cancelled including the Discover New England Summit in Maine, the Dream Destinations Showcase in Western Mass, and a major bridal expo in September.  We will resume these business development activities that play an important role in promoting the region to groups once it is safe to do so.

 

Tourism Update: Winter Season Wrap-Up

/in , /by

Here is an update on the work of our tourism arm – Visit North Central Massachusetts – over the Winter to promote and market North Central Massachusetts as a destination for visitors and groups. 

We continued to utilize a diverse mix of digital and print advertising in target markets to promote the region, including geo-targeted digital ads, a paid YouTube advertising campaign and print advertisements in Bay State Parent. During the winter season we also partnered with the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, Massachusetts Ski Resort Association, and the Berkshires and Franklin County Convention and Visitors Bureaus on a special #SkiMass campaign to promote the state to skiers and snowboarders. The campaign included a mix of paid digital media on Facebook and Instagram in the target markets of Greater Boston, New Hampshire, New York and Connecticut.

Our Facebook following has grown 5.8% over the winter season and a whopping 290% compared to the same period last year! This is primarily due to our rebranding and our strategy of utilizing a combination of Facebook ads, compelling content and video. Our Instagram following grew by 6% and our Twitter grew by 11% during the Winter season. We also released a new tourism video on our social media channels highlighting the dynamic region. A special thank you to Wilspro Entertainment and music artist Joshua Radin for his song “Going With You” which is featured in the new video. 

Our tourism website – VisitNorthCentral.com – saw a 192% increase in traffic over the same period last year.  Primary origins for the majority of visitors included the New England states and Canada. Winter themed blog articles on the website included “Take The Ski Train,” “Sleigh Bells Ring,” and “Feathered Fun.” 

Hotel occupancy was up 3% in the region compared to the month of January last year. The state saw a 4.3% increase compared to January of last year. Revenue per available room (RevPar) for January 2020 was up 5.5% for the region compared to January 2019 and the state was up 4.5% compared to January 2019. All data is from the most recent STR report (occupancy data for February has not been released as of printing). 

Visit North Central Massachusetts was also busy promoting the region at trade shows. We showcased the region at the Great Bridal Expo held in Boston, promoting our beautiful wedding venues to future brides and grooms from throughout New England. Plans are currently underway to participate in the Dreams and Destinations Travel Show in Springfield, MA in May. We will be showcasing our region for the first time at this trade show that targets visitors from Western Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. We will also be participating in the Discover New England Industry Show taking place in Maine. 

The Spring/Summer 2020 Guide to North Central Massachusetts is now available.  Due to higher demand, we have increased our printing by 15% and expanded distribution in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, the South Shore, Boston and even Canada (our region’s biggest international market).  The Guide to North Central Massachusetts can now also be found across all terminals inside Boston’s Logan Airport. 

We are currently seeking partners for upcoming co-op opportunities in the Spring and Summer. Please contact David Ginisi, Marketing and Communications Manager, if you are interested and would like additional information.

Visit North Central Massachusetts Participating in SkiMass Collaboration

/in , /by

 

Visit North Central Massachusetts is proud to participate in a #SkiMass collaboration in partnership with the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, The Massachusetts Ski Resort Association, The Berkshires and Franklin County. This is in an effort to bring more ski and snowboarding travelers to North Central Massachusetts and support our partners at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area.

A mix of targeted digital media on Facebook and Instagram platforms are set in place to target key markets in Greater Boston, New Hampshire, New York and Connecticut.

 

For more information on North Central Massachusetts, please go to:

www.VisitNorthCentral.com 

Spring/Summer 2020 Guide To North Central Massachusetts Cover Reveal

/in /by

Revealing your Spring/Summer 2020 Guide To North Central Massachusetts Cover!

Interested in advertising in the guide? Please contact Diane Burnette |

Tourism Update | Fall 2019 Wrap-up

/in , /by

Fall is notably North Central Massachusetts’ biggest season, and when you live, work and play in the region coined “Johnny Appleseed Country,” who can argue with that? Visit North Central Massachusetts was hard at work all autumn long, showcasing the region’s finest to visitors and groups near and far.

We promoted visitation to North Central Massachusetts through a diverse mix of digital and print advertising in target markets. Web traffic to VisitNorthCentral. com was up 18% over the previous year. New Fall themed blog content on the website included “Apples, Apples Everywhere!,” “Halloween Happenings,” and “Ribbons of Color”. Our Facebook following grew by 86% over the Fall season, primarily due to our strategy of utilizing a combination of Facebook ads, compelling content and video. Three new Taste of North Central videos premiered on our social media channels showcasing local attractions and businesses – The Kitchen Garden of Templeton; Sholan Farms of Leominster; and Slattery’s Restaurant of Fitchburg. Our Taste of North Central series can be viewed anytime by visiting our Facebook page. Hotel occupancy for October was down 3.7% in the region from the same time last year. It was down 5.7% for the state during the same time period. Year to date, occupancy is up about 1.8% compared to the previous year and down 2.4% for the state. Revenue per available room (RevPar) decreased by 6.8% to $96.96, while up 2.2% or $106.21 for the year to date. Our Fall edition of our popular Guide to North Central Massachusetts was well received and sold out shortly after hitting the newsstands. It is distributed locally at key locations, as well as in Boston and throughout New England and as far away as Canada.

From August to October, our Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center – located at Rt. 2 in Lancaster – served 51,108 walk in visitors and hosted 16 group tour buses. Information reported from visitors indicates that they came from throughout New England and as far away as Canada; the Netherlands; and the United Kingdom. Domestic travelers included visitors from as far away as Alaska; Utah; Oklahoma; Illinois; and Hawaii to name just a few states. An estimated 3,100 polished apples were given out to the traveling public and 1,835 Cider donuts were purchased there during the same period.

Our annual Appleseed Country Fair had a record year, hosting its best attendance since its start eight years ago. Families from throughout Massachusetts and New England travelled to North Central Massachusetts for the full experience of family-friendly fall fun. Visit North Central Massachusetts was also proud to partner with the Phillipston and Athol Firefighter Associations on the event and raised over $8,000 to support first responders.

Visit North Central Massachusetts also proudly showcased the region to thousands of attendees over the course of three fall festivals at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area – including Kidsfest, Applefest and Oktoberfest. Families were able to scoop up the latest edition of our Guide to North Central Massachusetts.

In partnership with the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, Visit North Central Massachusetts also showcased the region to hundreds of thousands of out of state attendees that visited the “Big E” Fair in West Springfield.

With Fall behind us, we now shift gears to promoting awareness and visitation to North Central Massachusetts during the Winter season, We are currently seeking partners for upcoming co-op opportunities. Please contact David Ginisi, Marketing and Communications Manager if you
are interested and would like additional information. ◊

This article is from the latest edition of the Chamber Report.

Fall Guide to North Central Massachusetts Out Now!

/in , /by

Get the inside scoop on all things fall season in North Central Massachusetts – from the best time to harvest apples to a craft beer trail! Find the latest edition at the Johnny Appleseed Center or any other local venue and attraction in North Central Massachusetts! For more information on the Guide To North Central Massachusetts, how to advertise, or how to get one delivered to you, please contact Diane Burnette | DBurnette@ northcentralmass.com ◊

View the latest edition here!

Visit North Central Massachusetts hosting Annual Tourism Update Breakfast

/in , /by

A Forum to bring together tourism related businesses and organizations in the region

Visit North Central Massachusetts (VNCM) and the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce are pleased to announce the fourth annual Tourism Update Breakfast being held on Friday, April 10, 2019 at the Double Tree by Hilton, 99 Erdman Way, Leominster, MA. This exciting and fast paced breakfast event features industry experts who will share their professional insights on marketing North Central Massachusetts. The 2019 breakfast program is sponsored by the Double Tree by Hilton.

Lysa Miller, Co-founder of 3 Media Web, will speaking on online strategies to boost your business to visitors and groups. Lysa Miller is an entrepreneur and business development expert with 20+ years of experience increasing bottom lines for companies. In the past, she developed strategies for businesses that encompass the use of social media marketing, content marketing, SEO and online advertising to help reach their revenue goals. She is currently a partner at 3 Media Web where she continues to help fuel growth, evolve the brand, provide thought leadership and insight, create strong relationships in the community and build innovative partnership programs. 

Tony D’Agostino, has been with the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism for more than ten years as the Director of Research. In that time, D’Agostino’s main projects have been related to studying the volume of tourists, visitors and the economic impact of tourism spending in Massachusetts. These reports support the marketing initiatives and activities of the sixteen regional tourism councils across the Commonwealth.  Mr. D’Agostino’s presentation will highlight visitor trends, top visitor markets and the impact of tourism for the state and region. 

Roy Nascimento, President of Visit North Central Massachusetts and the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce will also provide an update on the tourism marketing initiatives of Visit North Central Massachusetts for 2019. 

“Tourism is important to the future of North Central Massachusetts and plays an increasingly important role in our local economy” said Roy Nascimento, president of Visit North Central Massachusetts. “We organize this annual program as a way to bring tourism related stakeholders in the region together to share best practices, learn new trends in the industry and to take advantage of new opportunities to better market local businesses and the region to visitors.” 

The Tourism Update Breakfast is open to all community members and will run from 7:30 am to 9:30 am. The cost is just $25 for VNCM and North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce members/$35 for non-members and includes a breakfast buffet. Registration can be done by clicking here. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact Kat Deal at 978.353.7600 ext. 235.

New Chamber Tourism Website Fall Launch

/in /by

Stay tuned! The Chamber’s tourism affiliate, Visit North Central Massachusetts will be launching a dynamic new tourism website this fall. The new website will have a fresh new look and feature a number of enhancements to help better promote members and North Central Massachusetts. This is part of our efforts around continuous improvements to strengthen our communications, member services and operations.

Chamber offers new experiential networking program

/in , /by

In September 2018, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber introduced an additional networking program for members called Experience North Central. This addition styled like a Business After Hours  offers attendees yet another social networking opportunity with the inclusion of an experience at one of our many gems within the community.

The first Experience North Central featured a cider donut and fudge making lesson at the nationally renowned Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, a 100 year old destination for all things fall. In October, we featured local beer manufacturer, Moon Hill Brewing, in celebration of Manufacturing Month. Both were said to be “the best networking experience ever” by several attendees.

If you’re sick of the same old networking and also looking to learn behind the scenes secrets of local businesses, then Experience North Central is for you! Our next event will be held in January 2018. Have an idea for an Experience? Contact Events & Programs Manager, Maria McCaffrey, at 978.353.7600 ext. 235 or

Tourism Sales Mission

/in , /by

The Johnny Appleseed Trail Association, the tourism arm of the chamber, participated in the New England Society of Association Executives, NESAE, 2018 Annual Management Conference where we had a table promoting our meeting venues to association executives from all over New England. In attendance were over 100 association executives and destinations looking to do business. Members who were promoting North Central Massachusetts alongside us were Great Wolf Lodge New England and the Devens Common Center.

This is an example of the many ongoing efforts of JATA to promote the region to visitors and groups in key markets. Ultimately these efforts help generate additional visitors and additional dollars to the communities in our region. In 2016, our collective regional tourism marketing strategy resulted in $131 million economic impact for North Central Massachusetts.