Friday, September 23, 2011

Encouraging signs in a struggling economy

By Tony Sheridan

The year 2011 dawned in Connecticut as the advent of a new era in our state government and the way it handles and interacts with the business community with fiscal responsibility.

Gov. Dannel Malloy took office facing a draconian budget situation. He vowed to balance the state’s budget and declared that the state understands the importance of job creation coming out of the private sector.
 
The actions he has taken to date have proven he is serious and that he has lived up to his commitments.

We were honored when he addressed a breakfast program our Chamber hosted at the Mystic Marriott, one of his first public speaking engagements after being sworn in.

I was honored to co-chair with Chandler Howard, the president of Liberty Bank, an important panel the governor formed on job creation and economic development.

He has taken our efforts seriously and has worked hard to implement many of our recommendations.
       
Also, the governor and the top-flight appointees to the Department of Economic and Community Development have maintained a frenetic pace in the first nine months of this administration.

They have taken action in a number of areas and are positioning Connecticut for future growth and responsible budget practices. They have proven to be a true friend of the state’s billion dollar tourism industry.
 
During that period, the Chamber has worked with others to support this critically important sector of our economy.
 
Among others, we’ve worked with the Greater Mystic Visitors Bureau, led ably by Dr. Stephen M. Coan, president & CEO, Sea Research Foundation, Inc., the parent corporation of the Mystic Aquarium.

In early April, with the governor’s encouragement and the support of leaders like Dr. Coan, the first statewide tourism marketing campaign since 2009 began.  It was a unique public-private partnership that included contributions of $1 million from 43 companies and $1.6 million from public funds and support services.

The initial results are encouraging.  The key highlights that are indicators of future growth include:

  • Visits to the Mystic.org website are up 35 percent compared to the same time last year;
  • Referrals from ctvisit.com are up more than 2,000 percent compared to 14,666 visits at the same time last year;
  • Mystic Pass sales are up 153 percent compared to last year and 25 percent compared to 2009.  More than 7,300 passes were sold by late July.


These are encouraging signs as our economy still struggles with job growth, and we feel they are only the beginning. We at the Chamber are optimistic that we will rebound and grow. We have a lot going for us in eastern Connecticut.

Comment
Comment by Keith J. Robbins | Friday, September 23, 2011, 12:11
The tax increase of $1.5 billion is obscene; the addition regulation such as paid sick leave is out of touch. Choosing an academic to run the new DEEP is not a business friendly move.

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