In spite of a minority in Newburyport that are clueless, I know where my bread is buttered. It was great news to know the City Council did the right thing and now, it is great news that our elected state officials are doing the right thing.
The Visitor Center has been a tremendous resource for funneling in tourists to the Greater Newburyport Area. They’re certainly not going to get it from national publications or tourist websites. I went to the center before it was closed down ready to write a blog complaint as well as nasty letters to anyone responsible for under-reporting Newburyport.
I found it well stocked with information for Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury. I walked away very impressed!
Unlike some in Boston, Massachusetts economy needs visitors and especially heritage visitors. Though they may be eating ice cream when they get here, they represent a significant minority that come back to reinvest in serious dollars.
Some say we don’t want to be a tourist destination like Rockport. Rockport has 51 inns and motels and just three nice restaurants. People come and they are trapped in one spot and they spend and spend. Rockport is hard to get to and Rockport has no industry outside of being a Boston bedroom community. It’s enough to keep them going. Newburyport has so much more. We have eco-tourism, heritage tourism and recreational tourism. We have birders and we have an industrial base and a real retail base. We are also easy to get to. So what has Rockport have over us?
International and national recognition.
I say, we can beat Whittier’s Curse and the Visitor Center is a big ticket toward it. Thanks to all who worked to keep it open!!!
-P. Preservationist
Brick and Tree 