Eastern Regional Tourism Distributes Awards To Support Programs

WATERFORD, CT — The Eastern Regional Tourism District (ERTD) has announced the final funding recipients for the 2020 Regional Marketing Partnership Program. Nine additional programs were approved for marketing grants to promote tourism and hospitality opportunities in Eastern Connecticut.

The total funding of all projects, including the initial projects announced in September totaled $202,267 in matching grant funding to support local businesses and eastern Connecticut’s tourism economy.

"Tourism is a major economic driver in eastern Connecticut that generates billions in business sales and tax revenues every year and supports thousands of jobs," Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. "I applaud this program’s efforts to bolster eastern Connecticut’s crucial tourism industry by further raising the visibility of the state’s tourism opportunities, which are as diverse as the grant recipients."

The additional nine programs include marketing initiatives to raise the visibility of tourism opportunities in eastern Connecticut towns and improve access and information regarding Connecticut’s trails and state parks, raise the visibility of tourism opportunities and attractions in eastern Connecticut towns and support the promotion of eastern Connecticut’s diverse artistic community.

The nine programs include:
· Where Art Lives, a collaboration between the Florence Griswold Museum and the Lyme Art Association to market eastern Connecticut’s arts scene to day-trippers and local tourism.
· The New London Tourism Unity Initiative, a strategy to develop useful marketing and tourism-related tools to consolidate information regarding New London’s tourism attractions.
· Town of Windham Marketing Campaign, a program to enhance ongoing communications strategies and strengthen unrealized aspects of their 5-year marketing strategy.
· Voluntown Tourism Campaign, a collaboration between the Voluntown Economic Development Commission and Friends of Pachaug Forest to support the promotion and distribution of the Pachaug State Forest trails map.
· Air Line Trail Brochure Marketing Campaign, a project to increase access to information regarding the Air Line Trail and promote the trail’s access to neighboring tourism opportunities and venues.
· Windham Region Chamber of Commerce Regional Marketing Project, an initiative to develop four video itineraries that promote tourism opportunities throughout Windham County.
· Partners in History, a collaboration between the Thames River Heritage Park and eight partner sites to create a series of short videos that promote the history and tourism opportunities of the Thames River.
· So Good to See You in Mystic, a campaign through the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce that models the ongoing “So Good to See You, Connecticut” campaign to promote hospitality, aquatic recreation and dining opportunities in southeastern Connecticut.
· Passport to Norwich, a program to leverage the city’s diverse dining culture and heritage to food-oriented travelers and tourists.