Our thanks to all who attended Arts, Culture and Tourism Advocacy Day on April 8! Over two hundred arts and tourism advocates attended the event! One of the best ways to show our legislators that their constituents support the arts is to show up in large numbers for events like this. If their voters care, they’ll care!
Among the accomplishments of the day, a unanimous vote to change the name of the legislative Tourism Caucus to the Arts, Culture and Tourism Caucus was a significant achievement for our industry. The name change recognizes the important impact that arts and culture, along with tourism, have on our state.
As our members and followers well know, Connecticut’s arts and culture industry is important in generating tourism dollars from local and out-of-state audiences, with 69% of visitors coming for arts and cultural offerings. Not including the cost of a ticket, state residents spend an additional $23.78 on average and visitors spend $49.78 per person in our state. (See Americans for the Arts Arts & Economic Prosperity 5  study for more statistics.)
Clearly, collaboration among the arts, culture and tourism benefits us all. By uniting in advocacy and agreeing how tourism dollars should be spent, we are stronger together—especially with a new Administration keenly focused on collaboration, efficiencies, job creation, and economic growth.
UPDATE: A list of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Caucus members is on our website here . ( You can find your own legislators here .) Please thank your legislators who are on the caucus already, and encourage those who are not to join!