Matthew Gray | Owner, Ragged Island Brewing Co. and Gray Matter Marketing; Board chairman, Discover Newport
1. What initiatives do you plan to push for now that you have become board chairman for Discover Newport? One of the first initiatives that I am excited for is the creation of a sponsorship program, which recently launched that establishes a clear framework for applicants and a reporting structure for our investments. This ensures accountability through measurable impact.
2. Are more of these in-house, self-funded initiatives going to become typical for the organization? Discover Newport is mainly funded through hotel tax revenues, so this program [offers] sponsorships that align with our mission in a clear way. Additionally, Discover Newport administers a voluntary Tourism Improvement District assessment fee in partnership with 20 Newport hotels. These funds are separate from the hotel tax revenues and support sales and marketing initiatives that align with the hotels’ goals.
3. Are you anticipating a busy summer season? Newport is always busy in the summertime, however as chairman, my goal is to support the organization’s efforts to focus on shoulder-season and offseason business for our nine coastal communities. Growing the shoulder season will help to flatten the bell curve of economic impact throughout the year, which will benefit our local hospitality businesses, as well as our attractions during the challenging months of the year.
4. What are the biggest challenges facing the hospitality and tourism industry? Gas prices certainly affect our visitors, whether they are driving or flying, and that will be a challenge for our industry. We are fortunate that Newport and Bristol counties have so much to offer visitors that we still expect to have a robust year.
5. As someone in the marketing sector, how would you assess the state’s efforts to promote tourism and visitation? I am proud of Rhode Island’s position in the very competitive tourism marketing landscape. Even though we are small, we have so much history and culture to be proud of. While there is always room for improvement in driving visitation beyond peak season, the Ocean State is well-positioned to continue to be a destination of choice across the many sectors of travel and tourism that helps maintain the strength of our state’s economy.
