Representatives across all sectors of the tourism economy are at the Vermont Statehouse today to emphasize the importance of tourism to the state’s economy.
After a pause due to the pandemic, the first in-person Tourism Day since 2019 is being held at the Vermont Statehouse. Ski resort operators, innkeepers, recreational suppliers and the broad spectrum of businesses involved in the tourism industry have gathered under the Golden Dome to talk to state leaders about the importance of the visitor economy.
Ski Vermont is a co-sponsor of the event. President Molly Mahar says about 175 people from all areas of the industry were at the Statehouse Wednesday morning.
“It’s the first year of the biennium so it’s really about educating folks and there are some asks but really it’s just to underscore the importance of the tourism economy, the visitor economy to the state," said Mahar.
According to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the average 13 million visitors to Vermont annually have a $3.2 billion impact, making tourism the state’s second largest economic driver.
Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative Program Manager Jackie Dagger says outdoor recreation is a critical part of the overall tourism economy.
“A lot of the outdoor economy drives Vermont tourism," Dagger said. "So it’s really important for the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative and our partners to be involved in speaking with legislators about the importance of outdoor recreation and the impact that it has for Vermont communities and for visitors to our state.”
The Green Mountain State is well known for its recreational opportunities such as hiking, hunting, skiing, boating, shopping and museums. Nevertheless, Dagger says it’s important to put a focus on the tourism industry directly before lawmakers.
“It does seem pretty intuitive," Dagger said. "You know a lot of people come here to hike on the Appalachian Trail or the Long Trail. We have more than 7,000 miles of rivers and over 800 lakes and ponds. But the legislation that it takes and the support that communities need takes some careful thinking about how do we steward our lands and waters in a way that visitors and residents for years to come can enjoy.”
Mahar agrees that Tourism Day is an opportunity to remind state leaders about tourism’s importance to the state economy.
“Today is really a great day for the industry to really tell the granular stories of businesses and individuals who work in tourism," Mahar said. "So it’s really to get to the essence of what makes tourism so special. And you know it never hurts to remind them about the statistics too: $3.2 billion in spending is what tourism brings into the state each year and it’s almost 32,000 jobs. So almost 10 percent of Vermont’s workforce is employed by the industry. So it’s important to get those stats out.”
Dagger says because it is the start of the new biennium there are a number of new legislators, so their focus is building awareness about what it takes to support the outdoor and visitor economy, rather than lobbying for specific bills.
“There are some bills that have been proposed but haven’t been picked up yet," Daggar said. "In particular H.131 which looks at investments in stewardship organizations to be able to take care of those trail systems and make sure that our outdoor recreation assets stay really strong.”
Tourism Day at the Statehouse included a joint House and Senate committee hearing on tourism and marketing.
