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The Short Goodbye
This summer the state hopes to benefit from post-9/11 travel trends
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Business New Haven
6/24/2002
By:
Lisa Micali
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It's nearly summer and Anne Sullivan, a 44-year old Branford mom, is having a difficult time deciding where to go on her family's annual summer vacation.
Like many American families this year, Sullivan and her husband Shawn and their two school-age children, Matthew and Meghan had planned a summer trip out West, landing in Seattle, crossing Oregon and driving down the Pacific Coast Highway into San Francisco. The family cancelled that trip during the winter and now expects to take advantage of local and regional attractions throughout New England as well as spend a week at her parent's camp in upstate New York.
Since September 11 the Sullivans, like many American travelers, are thinking twice about vacations that require air travel. The latest travel industry surveys from American Express and the Travel Industry Association indicate Americans will be staying closer to home, taking shorter, more frequent trips and spending time with family and friends.
These are all trends attributable to the uncertain economic climate and to some extent, an increased fear of flying post 9/11.
General optimism abounds that Americans will be out traveling this summer for leisure - but as the vacation season kicks into high gear in New England, summer tourism will be more affected by the whims of Mother Nature than by anything else.
Given recent climatic trends, pointing fingers at the weather in the Northeast is understandable. While macroeconomic trends certainly have some bearing on the industry's performance, Connecticut's tourism and leisure industry is hugely dependent on Mother Nature.
“Connecticut is in a unique position,” says Peter Glankoff, director of communications at Mystic Seaport. “We're a weekend destination that has not been as affected by post-9/11 travel backlash as fly-to destinations. In fact, we're tracking ahead of last year already and as long as the weather continues to cooperate, we predict a very strong season.”
Likewise, visitor numbers are up across the state at area attractions due in part to the mild winter and spring and a heavy influx of New Yorkers heading to the countryside looking for some inner-city relief.
“As long as gas prices remain relatively low, the dollar weak, airline prices high and the economy soft - that confluence of economic indicators is working in our favor,” adds Glankoff. “We're poised for good show of people this season.”
Most Americans, according to the 2002 American Express Leisure Travel Survey Index, are indeed planning at least several leisure trips this summer. More than half (54 percent) of survey respondents say they plan to travel at least as much this year as last, and another 25 percent expect to travel more. Only 19 percent indicated they will travel less.
In total, 62 percent of Americans say they will take two leisure trips this year, up from 55 percent in 2001. Besides taking more vacations, Americans are also embracing frequent short, weekend getaways. And that bodes well for the Connecticut tourism industry.
“We're seeing a new pattern of more frequent weekend getaways, not the mega-vacations of the past but the getaway kinds of things,” says Ed Dombroskas, executive director of the Connecticut Tourism Office. “Early results from the late spring, early summer season in Connecticut confirm [that trend] will continue throughout the rest of the summer and continue throughout the bulk of the season.”
In April, the state's Office of Tourism launched its latest marketing campaign in the metro New York market - which it considers its tourism lifeline - emphasizing multi-day getaways for families and couples through www.ctbound.org, print ads, broadcast, radio and collateral materials.
Timed to coincide with the summer travel season, the campaign promotes 52 great getaway ideas aimed at baby-boomer women - the ones who control the purse strings and decide how to spend leisure and entertainment dollars.
“We're also seeing a lot of people coming from the New York metro market as well as the drive market - that 500-mile ring around the state - looking at the kind of things we have to offer such as relaxation, culture, outdoor and lots of family activities,” says Dombroskas.
Much of Connecticut's tourism is centered on the state's 250-mile Long Island Sound shoreline and the diversity of the regions surrounding it: miles of coastline, rolling hills and valleys, unspoiled rivers and streams, scores of villages filled with historic homes and landmarks. Therefore, it comes as little surprise that Connecticut is perceived as the ideal getaway from the city.
The state's two giant casinos are arguably Connecticut's biggest “season-less” draw. Both the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino, built just miles apart by Native American tribes, have made the rest of the world more aware of Connecticut as a tourist hot spot.
This month the Mohegan Sun, which just unveiled its new 34-story hotel featuring 1,200 luxury guest rooms, celebrates its grand opening with a star-studded events calendar expected to bring thousands to the southeastern corner of the state.
“We have built a destination second to none and we're very excited about the hotel's impact this season,” says Mitchell Etess, Mohegan Sun's executive vice president of marketing. “The hotel throws in a whole new dynamic to our mix but we are very optimistic for a great season.”
The casino, while not dependent upon the weather for its business, sees more spontaneous traffic during the summer if the weather is good. The same goes for the Mark Twain House in Hartford.
“We get around 50,000 visitors from over 75 countries during the summer months,” says Debra Petke, deputy director at the Mark Twain House. “Weather doesn't really affect our business per se, but our numbers are up all around due in part to the recent documentary on Twain by Ken Burns on PBS last winter and people's renewed interest in taking day trips.”
Yet, traffic congestion along Interstate 95 is seen as one of the state's most acute problems - with no real remedy in sight. Accidents on I-95 can tie up traffic for miles leaving travelers (and residents) stuck in frustration. High property values and little room to expand the right-of-way make the typical approach to alleviating the state's congestion - adding new lanes - extremely expensive.
“There are no short-term solutions to the problem,” explains Dombroskas. “We always suggest and promote alternate routes to enter the state other then I-95.”
It's a major detriment to tourism, agrees Glankoff. “In fact, it's our biggest worry,” he laments. “Connecticut is ten years behind the eight ball in terms of road expansion projects and $4 billion to $5 billion short for alleviating the problem.”
Adds Mohegan Sun's Etess: “I-95 has always been a problem for us. Getting it straightened out as quickly as possible should be a state priority. There's no doubt that a bad experience for just one tourist gives Connecticut a bad name.”
So, what is important to Americans this summer in selecting their destinations? The most important factor, as it probably always is, is finding a place where ones feels safe and secure - no surprise here.
“People still want to get away and experience small-town life. It brings some sort of tranquility to their lives especially after 9/11,” says Vivian Stanley, executive director of Connecticut's Mystic & More visitors bureau. “They're still hesitant to fly but want to go somewhere where they can relax and feel comfortable. Bookings are up in Mystic and visitors are staying longer and spending more. If we have some terrific weather we'll have a good season. However,” Stanley adds, “I'm not a wizard.”
Mystic has long been a weekend retreat for those in large cities.
“This is the place everyone comes to on the weekend,” says Hal Barth, director of sales and marketing at the recently opened Mystic Marriott. “It has a resort feel to it - real, quaint, New England. There's not really a city around. Mystic has only 10,000 people; New London, about 37,000.”
State Tourism Quick Facts
• Connecticut's travel and tourism industry currently contributes nearly $5 billion in gross revenue to the state's economy, four percent of Connecticut's gross state product.
• The lodging-based travel and tourism industry in Connecticut has averaged almost eight percent annual growth over the past seven years.
• These revenues generated more than 89,000 jobs and $521 million in total state and local tax revenues.
• For every dollar spent by state and local government to support travel and tourism in Connecticut, $10 of personal income is generated. Source: Connecticut Office of Tourism
Not Terribly Accommodating
While summer rentals in nearby communities such as the Jersey shore and the Hamptons have fallen by as much as 30 percent this year, rentals on the Connecticut shoreline have remained relatively stable.
Even so, the market has changed a lot over the years, says Ed Dombroskas, executive director of the state's Office of Tourism: “Product availability in the state over the past decade has diminished greatly,” he notes. “There are fewer rentals available. When the season started in January and February, a lot of people snatched up summer rentals at inflated prices and cooled the market. While there are some still available, those tend to be higher-priced.
“We're hearing now that prices are dropping,” Dombroskas adds. “This market is a repeat renters market, meaning every year people rent the same property. Usually, no outside agency is involved, so unlike the Cape or the Jersey shore, it's harder to get a handle on what's really going on.”
On the other hand, recovery in the business travel sector this summer will continue to lag behind that of pleasure travel. Travel sectors more dependent on business travel - such as hotels and conference centers - will continue to experience weak demand this summer.
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