Berkshire County Organizations Receive Travel and Tourism Recovery Grants
BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration, along with the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT), announced $4 million in awards to 80 tourism organizations, chambers of commerce, and municipalities as part of the Travel and Tourism Recovery (TTR) Grant Program.
Funds from the TTR Grant Pilot Program are dedicated to marketing projects that support the My Local MA campaign, enhance tourism recovery, and have the potential to increase non-resident visitation.
"The tourism and hospitality industries are key contributors to the Commonwealth's vibrancy and economic well-being," said Governor Charlie Baker. "With the impact of the pandemic these industries have felt over the past two years, we are pleased to continue our support for their recovery through this important grant program."
In Berkshire County, five organizations received Level 1 Grants.
The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum will receive $8,000 to use to increase Hoosac Valley Train Ride ridership in the summer season through targeted marketing to expand and enhance tourism activity in Northern Berkshire County.
ProAdams will receive $49,000 Attract tourists to downtown Adams through a combination of improved website content, signage, literature creation and distribution, and search and social media marketing.
The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce received $35,000 to launch two new tourism and economic recovery projects in 2022: Tour the Berkshires and Southern Berkshire Pay-per-View. Develop marketing content, increase the reach of marketing campaigns, and support implementation including website integration.
The Clark Art will receive $45,000 for a dedicated marketing campaign in Montreal and Quebec to attract visitors from these nearby markets to travel to enjoy vacation experiences in Western Massachusetts. Advertising will focus on the Clark's upcoming exhibition, Rodin in the United States.
The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce will receive $49,000 to create video ads that will be used to promote Williamstown and the Northern Berkshires across multiple platforms this spring/summer. They will also develop a targeted campaign to reach households within a three-hour drive radius of Williamstown.
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission received a Level 3 $140,000 grant for the Berkshire County Collaborative Campaign. The campaign is focused on 3 themes: downtown shopping/dining, outdoor recreation, and Cultural Districts. Facets include Digital Retargeting, Social Media Promoted Posts, and Lead Generation, all leading to a landing page on berkshires.org with a My Local MA message.
“Our Administration is committed to providing the resources necessary to continue supporting the momentum the tourism and hospitality industries have built toward their recovery,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Through these grants and thanks to the partnerships with our tourism councils, municipal leaders, and regional and local chambers of commerce, together we can continue to make progress as we approach the peak season for travel and the economic impacts that follow.”
In addition, the Administration also announced a new offering, the Travel and Tourism Season Extension (TTSE) Grant Program, a $6 million program funded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency, that focuses on promoting the visitor off-season, November through April, in Massachusetts.
“We want to ensure the Commonwealth’s economic recovery is both equitable and statewide, and this grant program is key to making progress toward both those goals,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “By design, this program allows us to make targeted investments in travel and tourism, while empowering the grant recipients to leverage their own expertise to develop plans to attract visitors and the economic activity that follows.”
Funded through the Tourism Trust Fund, the TTR Grant Program was open to any public, nonprofit agency, 501(c)3, or 501(c)6 that has been in operation in Massachusetts for at least two consecutive years since January 2019, and is in good standing with taxes and licenses/registrations in the Commonwealth.
The TTR and TTSE programs are in alignment with the Baker-Polito Administration’s Partnerships for Recovery Plan to help stabilize and grow the Massachusetts economy.
Through Partnerships for Recovery, the Administration has awarded more than $705 million to small businesses and has opened new grant programs to revitalize downtowns, create winter community spaces, support cultural institutions and foundations, and fund regional economic development organizations.
The full list of grant recipients can be found here.
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