“It’s not about making money this year, it’s about surviving,” said Atlantic Inn owner Brad Marthens. He was talking about his delayed reopening this year while making $12,000 worth of alterations at the Block Island hotel to meet state-mandated health requirements.
But he could just as well have been speaking for the statewide tourism industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rather than waste time complaining, however, many Ocean State businesses and nonprofits are focusing on those most likely to come this summer – fellow Rhode Islanders.
For some, such as the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, that has meant pivoting to new services and local partners.
Ella Gonzalez, the waterfront hotel’s director of sales and marketing, says one of its biggest successes this summer has been hosting a fitness studio’s cycling classes on a pier outside the hotel.
For the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the shift to wooing locals led to a bingo promotion. The more local restaurants and attractions visited, the more likely players can make bingo connections and earn gift cards and other prizes.
Hearthside House Museum in Lincoln has responded to an understandable drop in visitors due to its tight quarters with outdoor movie showings tied to indoor exhibits. The first movie night was themed “Christmas in July.”
There will be other summers to again cast a wide net in search of tourists. This year, it’s about taking care of our own. In the process, attractions and visitors alike will hopefully regain an appreciation for the people and places that make our state so special.