Backing is being sought for a bill on Beacon Hill that would provide funds to market and promote culturally diverse organizations and events in Massachusetts.
The Polish Center of Discovery and Learning is a museum in Chicopee that tells the story of Polish immigrants to America from the late 1800’s to 1950 and celebrates their contributions to the economy, arts, and sciences.
Housed inside a former church rectory, the center is run by volunteers. There is no budget for marketing, said Joanne Gruszkos, the chair of the organization’s board of directors.
“We’re very fortunate that we do get visitors from all over the world, and it is just a happenstance that they find us,” she said. “If we could advertise and share the stories, I think we would see more tourism in western Mass.”
The Cultural Equity in Tourism bill would establish a new pot of money that organizations like the Polish Center could tap to pay for uses such as ads in tourism publications, billboards, participation at tourism trade shows, and website design.
Sponsored by Democratic State Senator Jake Oliveira and Democratic State Rep. Pat Duffy, the bill is expected to have its first committee hearing this fall, said Oliveira.
“We have an opportunity now with this bill that is before the Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Committee to promote regional equity, to promote cultural and artistic experiences,” Oliveira said.
Representatives from about two dozen arts and cultural organizations gathered at the Polish Center Tuesday to hear details about the legislation.
Duffy said the bill would increase tourism to events that celebrate historically marginalized or underrepresented cultures.
“We’re leaving gold behind in untapped culture, music, food, etcetera,” Duffy said.
Before the pandemic, tourism was the third-largest industry in Massachusetts. Visitors spent $10 billion in the state in 2020. But, tourism marketing efforts frequently rely on well-known attractions, said Emily Ruddock, executive director of MassCreative, a statewide advocacy group for the creative sector.
“There are smaller, more niche, or culturally-specific spaces and attractions that don’t have that level of name recognition, so we want to make sure they have the resources as well,” Ruddock said.
Early still in the effort to pass the bill before the end of the legislative session in 2024, Ruddock said key endorsements have come from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and MassHumanities.
“We’re looking for more endorsers right now and more supporters,” she said.
Under the bill, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism would administer the fund in consultation with the Mass Cultural Council. It would amount to no less than one percent of the state’s tourism trust fund.
