"All-Inclusive Boston" campaiagn (Cambridge, Somerville: tax, restaurant, nightlife)

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Lampert

Who in his/her right mind is going to travel from out of state to see anything more than the city center + Cambridge in Boston? It doesn't matter the campaign none wants to see Mattapan, Hyde Park, Brookline or Sommerville.
I have been to Sommerville twice and I lived in Boston for like 10 years lol

People do this in other cities though, regularly. Very regularly.

And regardless, its imperative for the image of the city. Especially as generations become more diverse and culturally sensitive each passing year.

By essentially only having white tourists (which is the case now) you lose out on potentially billions of outside dollars. Not to mention many conventions or festival that generate money (think NBA All-Star Game)

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Lampert

Who in his/her right mind is going to travel from out of state to see anything more than the city center + Cambridge in Boston? It doesn't matter the campaign none wants to see Mattapan, Hyde Park, Brookline or Sommerville.
I have been to Sommerville twice and I lived in Boston for like 10 years lol

A lot of travelers make it a point to get "off the beaten path" when they visit new cities. Trying neighborhood restaurant gems, finding unique local neighborhood shops, and getting an idea of how most locals actually live is basically one of the reasons people visit new cities. Not every tourist is limiting their visit to the Freedom Trail, a Duck Tour, and a meal at Dick's Last Resort.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

People do this in other cities though, regularly. Very regularly.

And regardless, its imperative for the image of the city. Especially as generations become more diverse and culturally sensitive each passing year.

By essentially only having white tourists (which is the case now) you lose out on potentially billions of outside dollars. Not to mention many conventions or festival that generate money (think NBA All-Star Game)

There isn't only white tourists in Boston, there are a lot of Arabs downtown and they are also buying in many luxury apartment.

Anyway, I am just skeptical of these actions, to me they are just "fell good" actions (for the city I mean).
Tourists of colors will also just go to downtown. I mean, a black tourist from Atlanta is going to visit Roxbury or Hyde Park? Why? To do what?

[Shizim]

Originally Posted by Lampert

Who in his/her right mind is going to travel from out of state to see anything more than the city center + Cambridge in Boston? It doesn't matter the campaign none wants to see Mattapan, Hyde Park, Brookline or Sommerville.
I have been to Sommerville twice and I lived in Boston for like 10 years lol

they may end up at Assembly Row or Davis square (after getting lost on their way to Tufts).

[massnative71]

Not sure I'm catching on here. I's 2021. People aren't "not visiting Boston" "because it's some backwater racist city". I think the lingering real stereotype is that it's an old, stuffy but "charming and historic" city that has good seafood. It successfully lures visitors who seek those things. If it offered an amazing nightlife, a beach scene, or cheap fun getaway to see an NBA or baseball game, then it would attract a broader crowd. But it doesn't.


And no, people are not going to travel thousands of miles to see Hyde Park. Let's be half honest here.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by lrfox

A lot of travelers make it a point to get "off the beaten path" when they visit new cities. Trying neighborhood restaurant gems, finding unique local neighborhood shops, and getting an idea of how most locals actually live is basically one of the reasons people visit new cities. Not every tourist is limiting their visit to the Freedom Trail, a Duck Tour, and a meal at Dick's Last Resort.

I do that to an extreme. For instance when I visited New Orleans I was 1hr walking from downtown and I always walked to downtown from my (absolute ****ty) hotel. I have seen plenty of prostitutes, a guy with a gun in his hand and trash everywhere. I didn't mind it at all, but the thing I didn't see was a tourist.
Most tourists off beaten paths are still going to place where there is stuff to do. There is a huge difference between duck tours and coming from CA to visit Mattapan.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Lampert

There isn't only white tourists in Boston, there are a lot of Arabs downtown and they are also buying in many luxury apartment.

Anyway, I am just skeptical of these actions, to me they are just "fell good" actions (for the city I mean).
Tourists of colors will also just go to downtown. I mean, a black tourist from Atlanta is going to visit Roxbury or Hyde Park? Why? To do what?

It's really basically whites-only tourist in Boston. Especially if we're talking about domestic tourists. A few Arabs or Asians from elsewhere in the world but.. yea its whites-only for practical verbiage. Anything else is minor and or semantics. The tourism in Boston is overwhelmingly white.

Also maybe you need to click some of these links.

Black people generally already do visit Roxbury- if they leave downtown. Roxbury is the #1 place because many have heard of it, when I say I'm from Boston many black people guess Roxbury (or Dorchester) but black people generally rave about Roxbury, if they have been. There also ALOT to do there. Hyde Park is a tougher sell.

It's definitely a serious endeavor utilizing emergency CARES Act funds and put into motion in November...but I don't know how effective it can be if it's not nationwide in Airports all over the US.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by lrfox

A lot of travelers make it a point to get "off the beaten path" when they visit new cities. Trying neighborhood restaurant gems, finding unique local neighborhood shops, and getting an idea of how most locals actually live is basically one of the reasons people visit new cities. Not every tourist is limiting their visit to the Freedom Trail, a Duck Tour, and a meal at Dick's Last Resort.

Originally Posted by Lampert

I do that to an extreme. For instance when I visited New Orleans I was 1hr walking from downtown and I always walked to downtown from my (absolute ****ty) hotel. I have seen plenty of prostitutes, a guy with a gun in his hand and trash everywhere. I didn't mind it at all, but the thing I didn't see was a tourist.
Most tourists off beaten paths are still going to place where there is stuff to do. There is a huge difference between duck tours and coming from CA to visit Mattapan.

They might make a side trip, incidental to their weekend or week in town. It's not going to be the draw though.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Not sure I'm catching on here. I's 2021. People aren't "not visiting Boston" "because it's some backwater racist city". I think the lingering real stereotype is that it's an old, stuffy but "charming and historic" city that has good seafood. It successfully lures visitors who seek those things. If it offered an amazing nightlife, a beach scene, or cheap fun getaway to see an NBA or baseball game, then it would attract a broader crowd. But it doesn't.


And no, people are not going to travel thousands of miles to see Hyde Park. Let's be half honest here.

Most of what you and Lampert are saying is exactly what the campaign is meant to counteract. But what I'm hearing is a (suburban ) Bostonians resistance to change which is a hallmark of the area. In many people's opinion there is a lot to see in Boston and many cuisines outside of Seafood. Basically, you and Lamperts' "conventional wisdom" is precisely what the city is working against.

Their research panel says folks' interests were piqued when they were given more information on Boston neighborhoods off the beaten path. So long as Boston is seen as unwelcoming to 54% of African Americans who visit, by far the highest of 10 major cities- the city should be working on this, actively.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Most of what you and Lampert are saying is exactly what the campaign is meant to counteract. But what I'm hearing is a (suburban ) Bostonians resistance to change which is a hallmark of the area. In many people's opinion there is a lot to see in Boston and many cuisines outside of Seafood. Basically, you and Lamperts' "conventional wisdom" is precisely what the city is working against.

Their research panel says folks' interests were piqued when they were given more information on Boston neighborhoods off the beaten path. So long as Boston is seen as unwelcoming to 54% of African Americans who visit, by far the highest of 10 major cities- the city should be working on this, actively.

So what is it about Roxbury that's going to attract a black tourist from Chicago?