Focus: Weakening dollar draws international tourists

By Benjamin Amirault
Correspondent

April 15, 2008 03:00 am

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The weakening economy is worrisome for many, but tourism is an industry that is expecting to do well despite the economic downturn.

"We are hopeful for the year to come in the international market," said Julie McConchie, director of the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

According to McConchie, the decline in the dollar's value means an increase in foreign travelers who are finding their money can buy them more in the States, and Massachusetts — and the North Shore in particular — is attractive. McConchie said just last year there was a 10 percent increase in the tax revenue collected from tourism and an 11 percent increase in flights from London to Boston.

Boston has always been an appealing destination to the Brits because it's the island's closest major American city. Visitors to Boston sometimes want to escape the big-city environment and experience the quintessential American small town, and many of them find what they are looking for with a short trip north.

McConchie said events like the Topsfield Fair, Salem's Haunted Happenings and Gloucester Maritime Festival are big hits with foreigners because it gives them "a great excuse to feel like a part of the community."

The British are not the only visitors McConchie expects will have an interest in the North Shore. The visitors bureau has been hosting familiarization trips with travel representatives from the Netherlands, Italy and France. The Japanese also are interested in what the North Shore has to offer, in particular the House of the Seven Gables in Salem because Nathaniel Hawthorne is part of their school curriculum.

In addition to the push toward international travel, McConchie said the state has started a campaign aimed to get Massachusetts residents to vacation locally.

"With news of recession and high gas prices hitting the papers, we are trying to promote that you don't have to go far to get your getaway or vacation," McConchie said.

She encourages North Shore residents to get out and discover why more than 2.8 million people visit the area every year.

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