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State Legislators to Visit Plymouth & Provincetown
Forums to be held in November
Boston, October 23, 2005 - Senator Jack Hart (D-Boston) and State Representative Eric Turkington (D-Falmouth)-co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development-announced today that the Committee will hold a series of public forums across the state.
The forums are meant to solicit ideas from the cultural and tourism communities, and the general public, to help the Committee develop policies that strengthen arts, culture, and tourism in Massachusetts.
Two forums have been scheduled locally for the South Shore and the Cape. The dates are as follows:
Mon., Nov. 7
Plimoth Plantation
Mon., Nov. 21
Provincetown Town Hall
All meetings will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. The meetings are public and wheelchair accessible.
"The Committee was formed last year with the understanding that tourism, arts, and culture are critical to the long-term health of Massachusetts' economy and to our quality of life," said Committee co-Chair Senator Jack Hart (D-Boston). "As we begin work for the coming year, we realize that we can learn much from the talented men and women who lead our cultural institutions, tourism businesses, and community arts organizations."
"These hearings will help us understand what role state government can play in ensuring that Massachusetts fully capitalizes on the economic, social, and educational value of its cultural and tourism resources," said Committee co-Chair Representative Eric Turkington (D-Falmouth). "We want to make sure we're doing all we can to foster the growth and development of this key sector of our economy."
Tourism is the third largest industry in Massachusetts with a $3.1 billion payroll supporting 124,800 jobs. In 2003, 27.1 million people visited Massachusetts and spent $11.2 billion, according to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. Visitor surveys consistently indicate that arts, culture, and heritage are among the top reasons for choosing to visit our state. In addition, non-profit cultural organizations have a statewide payroll of $247 million with annual in-state spending of $1.1 billion, according to the New England Foundation for the Arts.
The Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development was established this year by Senate President Robert E. Travaglini (D-Boston) and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi (D-Boston). The Committee has already helped to secure increased state funding for arts, culture, and domestic and international tourism marketing. And it played a central role in drafting groundbreaking legislation currently under consideration that would establish up to $25 million in public private fund to invest in the maintenance, repair and expansion of non-profit cultural facilities.
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