November ushers in the holiday season, which is always such a special time to be in Connecticut – from enjoying the spectacular holiday festivals, ice skating, skiing and snowboarding to picking out the finest Christmas tree at one of our many great farms. All this, along with the delicious food, craft beer, wine and great fireside atmosphere, makes for a terrific experience for family, friends and visitors alike. What a wonderful time to share these experiences!
Sharing these countless experiences and helping each other attract as many visitors to Connecticut as possible is accomplished much more effectively when done through partnerships. As is highlighted throughout this newsletter, the Office of Tourism continually works to build and maintain partnerships within the tourism and cultural business communities in all areas of Connecticut. Our Office of Tourism’s Industry Regional Outreach Program continues to inform tourism and cultural entities of ways they can successfully market their business and/or area through programs available through our Office. We are grateful to the hundreds of partners we have had the opportunity to meet, around the state, who have never been involved in the state’s tourism marketing programs. We look forward to continue serving our Connecticut tourism and cultural industry.
Thank you for all you do for Connecticut Tourism!
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In an effort to better connect with our tourism partners and to inform you of mentions in upcoming media coverage, we are requesting that you verify the contact information for your respective partner listing on CTvisit.com. Any changes and/or additions should be shared with us. We have over 8,000 partner listing pages and it is imperative we maintain up-to-date contact information. Please email Jean Hebert, jean.hebert@ct.gov with your correct information including the name of your property, your name, title, address, phone number and email.
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Tourism on the Road
The Industry Regional Outreach Program team continues its movement to meet with tourism partners across the state. With the support of the local chambers of commerce and economic development commission offices, the Office of Tourism presented to the lower Middlesex County region, Western CT Leadership in New Milford, and to the businesses in the town of New Hartford. Recent site visits included the Hotel Delamar in West Hartford and the Institute of Sustainable Energy in Willimantic. To learn about our Industry Regional Outreach Program or any of our initiatives, please contact me, Randy Fiveash, randall.fiveash@ct.gov or my associate, Rosemary Bove, rosemary.bove@ct.gov.
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No Cost Marketing Opportunities
Now is the time we are looking to promote upcoming fall/winter holiday packages and deals offered throughout the state. We are inviting you to post your special deals, offers and packages on CTvisit.com. We cannot promote you if you do not participate. Take advantage of this FREE promotional offer where over 7 million impressions are generated and close to 5 million leads are sent directly to listing properties. To get started, go to CTvisit.com and click on Tourism Partners link at the bottom any of page. If you have any questions, please contact Jean Hebert at jean.hebert@ct.gov.
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CTvisit.com Monthly Report
The State’s official tourism website CTvisit.com continued its year long upward trend in helping visitors plan their vacations in Connecticut. October 2017 saw the site receive over 681,000 visits, bringing our yearly 2017 total to over 4.4 million. CTvisit.com has now been visited more to-date in 2017 than during all of 2016! You can view the full breakdown of the August CTvisit.com Key Metrics here.
For more information on this report, please contact robert.damroth@ct.gov.
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Connecticut Partners in the News
As we continue to further promote our public relations efforts, we are delighted to share a few of our recent media hits as a result of our fall push. (click here to view articles) If you want to know how you can be considered for future inclusion in our public relations efforts, contact Rosemary Bove at rosemary.bove@ct.gov.
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In-State Consumer Shows
The Office of Tourism continues to take part in in-state travel shows, bringing awareness to residents the wonderful things there are to see and do in Connecticut. This fall’s travel shows include the Hartford Courant Travel Show – the largest travel show with over 5,000 visitors and the CT Transit Hartford’s largest Bus depot Employee Health and Wellness Fair where 500 employees attended to meet and greet over 50 vendors. If you wish to have your materials displayed at any one of the shows we attend or an Office of Tourism representative join your upcoming event, please contact Alfred Strong at alfred.strong@ct.gov.
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Discover New England Launches Refreshed Brand
Discover New England (DNE), the nonprofit cooperative destination marketing organization that promotes New England tourism internationally, has completed a comprehensive rebranding process positioning New England as a vibrant and relevant destination for today’s travelers. The new brand identity was officially launched and on display starting with World Travel Market in London on Nov. 6, 2017.
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We’ve Moved
The Connecticut Office of Tourism has moved to its new location.
Department of Economic & Community Development
Connecticut Office of Tourism
450 Columbus Boulevard/ Suite 5
Hartford, CT 06103-1843.
For a complete listing of staff contacts, click here.
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