Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 30, 2023 17 Financing for business success made Simple. bankatpeoples.com/businessteam Member FDIC/Member DIF $600,000 Equipment Line of Credit Construction Company Hampden County, MA $13,900,000 Commercial Mortgage Multifamily New London County, CT $6,000,000 Equipment Line of Credit Trucking Company Franklin County, MA $5,475,000 Commercial Mortgage Retail Pharmacy Worcester County, MA $900,000 Term Loan Wholesaler Hampshire County, MA $217,000 Commercial Mortgage Residential Investment Middlesex County, CT Steve Parastatidis F I R S T V I C E P R E S I D E N T C O M M E R C I A L B A N K I N G Joseph Westcott F I R S T V I C E P R E S I D E N T C O M M E R C I A L B A N K I N G Chris Scott A S S I S TA N T V I C E P R E S I D E N T C O M M E R C I A L B A N K I N G Tangible improvement Tony Sheridan, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, said his region is enjoying a growing economy thanks to expansions by Groton- based submarine marker Electric Boat and the offshore wind industry. That translates into extra ancil- lary spending and new residents to bolster area tourism, he said. A growing public confidence with the waning of the COVID-19 pandemic is also helping, he said. "Certainly, the Mystic area has done very well," Sheridan said. "You can tell that by the shortage of parking." Sheridan also said state tourism officials are doing a "much better job," presenting a far clearer and consistent message. JoAnn Ryan, president and CEO of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, said the state's increased marketing is having an impact. "I see more about Connecticut, which we need, because people don't know how beautiful it is here," Ryan said. Syed Bokhari, general manager of the 32-room Litchfield Inn, said his visitor stays have actually dipped year-over-year, but revenue is up. A hike in average daily rates that accompanied a roughly $2 million property makeover has caused some price-sensitive customers to shy away, Bokhari said. But the renovation will prove to be a good investment for the inn's longer-term success, he said. Rooms that rented for $300 a weekend night last year are renting for more than $400 now. Bokhari said he had to cut his staff of 10 in half during the COVID-19 doldrums. Now, he is up to 20 employees. He has also noticed an improved marketing effort by the state. Someone actually reached out to him and updated the inn's information, including pictures, on the state's tourism website. "I know they are pushing a lot of advertisements and making Connecticut a state to visit for New Yorkers," Bokhari said. "I think they are making more of an effort." Working together Gregg Dancho, director of the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, said his venue's post-COVID-19 rebound was aided by an influx of New Yorkers, both as day-trippers and new area residents. "That was a brand-new market that hadn't seen what we had to offer in the area," Dancho said. "I could see that by looking at license plates in the parking lot." Given its open-air layout, the zoo was one of the first tourism venues to reopen during the pandemic. That helped reintroduce patrons who hadn't visited in a while, Dancho said. The zoo has also undertaken a series of upgrades since the pandemic, including new habitats for spider monkeys and Andean bears. Dancho, who chairs the Western Connecticut Tourism District, has also noticed an improvement in the state's tourism efforts, although its overall tourism budget remains well below that of neighboring states. But money isn't everything, he said. Out of necessity, the state's three tourism districts have learned to stop competing and collaborate to their mutual benefit, sharing common themes and graphics, Dancho said. "The state is too small not to work together," Dancho said. "Collabora- tion is going to form partnerships, and the partnerships form excitement, and excitement translates into people coming to us." Attendance at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport has been aided by an influx of New Yorkers, both as day-trippers and new area residents, an official said. PHOTO | BEARDSLEY ZOO

• Cover