An estimated 35,000 Democratic Party supporters will flood Boston this July
for the Democratic National Convention, and Rhode Island tourism officials have
a strategy to absorb the overflow.
A 10-person committee of representatives from Rhode Island senators’ and mayors’ offices and private sector business executives have been meeting over the past few months to discuss ways of attracting convention guests to the state before, during, and after the July 26 to 29 event at the FleetCenter in Boston.
A designated group within that Rhode Island committee is responsible for aggressively promoting state attractions by sending direct mailings to targeted convention attendees, according to Rhode Island Tourism Division Director David C. DePetrillo.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
Learn More
“We are working with the various organizations that send people to the convention and targeting specific groups from different businesses, organizations and the delegates,” said DePetrillo. “People coming to New England from another part of the country aren’t aware that we are so close with very good access to the convention. We have fine restaurants, museums, (Newport) mansions. We have a lot to promote.”
The mailings will include tourism and transportation information, DePetrillo said. They will be sent out in March when the 2004 Rhode Island Travel Guide is published.
Dale Venturini, president of the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association, said it is likely Boston won’t be able to handle the sudden influx of people and tourists could end up in Rhode Island.
“We are very hopeful, and it would be natural for people to come to Rhode Island,” Venturini said. “Once people see the area, they are sure to come back again.”
Boston 2004 Inc. is the host committee organizing hospitality, security, transportation and volunteerism for the convention. The group’s spokesperson Karen Grant said, based on past conventions, the four-day event is expected to inject $150 million to the Boston economy and $300 million to the surrounding region.
“It’s a lot of money for a four-day event,” Grant said. “We are sending visitor information to all the delegates and encouraging them to use the convention as a mini-vacation. We’d like to see them head down to the Cape and other areas like Providence before and after the convention.”
Janet Raymond, senior vice president of economic development for the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, said she is optimistic that Rhode Islanders will benefit from the Boston event.
“We hope there will be spillover into Rhode Island,” said Raymond.
The Democratic National Convention Committee selected sponsor hotels in Boston for nearly 5,000 delegates from 56 state and territorial delegations staying there during convention week.
The committee reportedly expects to fill 17,000 hotel rooms with delegates, alternates, party officials and activists.
The committee also announced US Airways and United Airlines as the official airlines for the 35,000 guests flying in for the convention. Both airlines fly into Boston’s Logan International Airport and T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.
Kathleen Ceseretti, vice president of sales for the Providence/Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, said many convention attendees are likely to fly into T.F. Green instead of Logan.
“People flying in will travel through (Rhode Island), and if they can’t secure rooms in Boston, they will stay here,” Ceseretti said.
DePetrillo said the tourism division keeps close track of hotel room availability and is sure there will be availability during convention time.
“Several thousand hotel rooms are available in the Greater Providence area. The summer is peak (traveling) season in some parts of the state, but not for Providence,” DePetrillo said. “We aren’t competing with Boston, but we want people to know we are here.”
