Vermont's top salesman remains optimistic
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Bruce Hyde, Vermont 's commissioner of tourism and marketing, sits with promotional materials in his Montpelier office. |
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By SUSAN ALLEN TIMES ARGUS EDITOR - Published: May 18, 2009
MONTPELIER – Regis Philbin was cranky, Bruce Hyde recalled.
Hyde, Vermont's commissioner of tourism andmarketing, was in New York City in February, attending a high-end luncheon for national food writers, hoping to generate a little buzz about Cabot cheese, maple syrup and other Vermont specialty food products.
Philbin was perplexed by Vermont cheese, talking up Wisconsin cheese to Hyde. But the popular television talk show host did try some samples and grabbed a few gift bags.
The next morning, when Hyde turned on the "Live with Regis and Kelly" show, there was Philbin, singing the praises of Vermont cheese and prodding Kelly Ripa to guzzle the syrup.
"He gushed about Cabot cheese," Hyde recounted in amazement last week, seated in his top-floor office of the National Life building. Philbin raved about the syrup. The state can't buy that kind of publicity, Hyde said. "He has millions of viewers."
That's clearly a high point in Hyde's six years as commissioner in a job that entails promoting Vermont products to consumers nationally and the state as a tourist destination internationally. He'll spend the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend out and about, watching where folks are going and what they're buying.
The current economic recession is pounding state government and private businesses alike. But, Hyde said, the state's tourism industry is holding its own.
"The last fiscal year was incredible," he said, with revenues from hotel, motel and B&B rooms up 10 percent. "And the winter before that was the best winter."
The first nine months of this fiscal year, which ends in July, have seen tourism-related revenue drop about 3 percent over last year. All things considered, that's not too bad.
"We'd love to be up. But in the economy we're in, that's pretty good," he said
He said the "driving" market – visitors who live within driving distance of the state – is strong, with people staying closer to home this year, taking advantage of lower gasoline prices, and forgoing the expense of air travel.
About 40 percent of Vermont's visitors come from elsewhere in New England, with another 40 percent from the mid-Atlantic states.
In the recent past, efforts to market Vermont internationally have been successful, although this year those numbers are declining. Visitors from Germany and the United Kingdom top the list of international tourists, but all the New England states are reaching out to the French in hopes of tapping that market, he said.
"International travel has taken a hit," Hyde commented. But New England does remain a fairly popular destination for those international travelers willing to make a trip. "We market as 'authentic America.' They want more than Disney and Las Vegas."
The commissioner said the typical tourist to Vermont is affluent, speculating that the state's lack of what he jokingly called "honky tonk" destinations might be a factor. Vermont's visitors tend to be a little younger, with children, looking for family-oriented and outdoor activities like biking and hiking. The Vermont tourist is also looking for festivals and music, farmers markets, and those types of events.
Travelers spend a little more here in the winter, not surprisingly while skiing and snowboarding. They're more likely to book hotel rooms, dine out and shop. In the summer, which is Vermont's busiest tourist season, visitors might camp, hike or do other activities that don't pump quite as much money into the state's coffers, he said.
As in past years, Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury and Shelburne Farms continue to vie for the top tourist destination in Vermont, he noted.
What is different, he added, is the development at the ski areas that draws visitors year-round.
"They are realizing you can no longer sustain yourself on one season," Hyde said, pointing out that the ski areas are promoting their golf courses, spas and other warm-weather offerings.
The ski areas saw a slight dip in numbers. Still, about 4.5 million skiers hit the slopes this year, a decline of about 5 percent over last year. This year's questionable weather made some visitors reluctant to commit to $90-per-day lift tickets, but they shopped and dined, which did boost state revenues somewhat.
And this year, with air fares so high, resorts in the West suffered more. Those resorts opened in the fall, when the economy hit the skids, and saw a 20 to 30 percent decline in skier visits.
"In January, they started wheeling and dealing," he said.
Hyde knows the industry from the inside. Living in New Jersey and teaching high school chemistry and physics, he was also buying, restoring and selling homes. Twenty-three years ago, he decided to "escape to Vermont," buying what was then called The Snuggery, a small inn in Fayston near the Sugarbush ski area. He planned to fix it up and sell it.
Instead, he still owns what is now named The Hyde Away Inn and Restaurant, marketing to families and hikers.
The commissioner said he is concerned about the situation at the Vermont/Canadian border. As of June 1, those entering the U.S. from Canada will be required to show a passport or enhanced drivers license, a change that he fears will discourage Canadian visitors.
While southern Vermont depends on visitors from New York and Connecticut, and central Vermont looks to the Boston market, northern Vermont is dependent on visitors from Quebec. A slow-down at the border could have a huge, negative impact on tourism in that part of the state.
But Hyde said he's feeling good about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, with gasoline prices much lower than last year's rates. And he's optimistic about the summer season and marketing efforts in areas like Boston, where advertising dollars get a bigger return.
"We try to fish where the fish are," he said.
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