Rosalyn Hunter & Armando Mendonca of VoX; Governor Deval Patrick; Secretary Gregory Bialecki; & Susan Webb, VoX
Governor Deval Patrick
Porter Airline's John Kirk with the Governor & Secretary Bialecki
Air Canada's Cynthia Farrill & Ruth Williamson, U.S. Commercial Service
Pierre LePage, CATO; Punam Pathak, GOGO Vacations; & Bruce Slade, Huntington Travel
The Bee Gees sure got it right with their hit Massachusetts. “Feel I’m goin’ back to Massachusetts. Something’s telling me I must go home…” I’ve visited the destination at least half a dozen times and I wouldn’t hesitate to travel there again. It would appear as though I’m not the only one with that sentiment since the destination is extremely popular amongst Canadians.
“Our strategy for growth for Massachusetts is to acknowledge that Canadians are our #1 tourism market,” said Governer Deval Patrick of Massachusetts.
VoX International held a lovely breakfast at Toronto’s Windsor Arms Hotel and invited a small group of industry professionals that included tour operators and airline representatives. Guests had the honour of meeting the Governor, along with his entourage, and the Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Gregory Bialecki, who were in town promoting the state
“It’s easy to get to Massachusetts – it’s not a bad drive and we have pre-clearance,” said Governor Patrick. “Boston is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.”
”Massachusetts has a global brand and reputation that is separated from the other 49 states,” said Secretary Bialecki. “Whether it’s Harvard, MIT, the Red Sox, we have a distinct global reputation.”
While guests sipped on cranberry spritzers and polished off their plates of Eggs Benedict, Governor Patrick shared some of his favourite Massachusetts attractions.
- Listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the renowned acoustics at Symphony Hall
- Visiting the music venue Tanglewood, which is the summer home to the symphony
- Taking in a variety of performances at the Jacob’s Pillow dance festival
- Hiking along the many trails in the Berkshires
- Enjoying dinner at a trendy pop-up restaurant in Boston (The Governor is a fan of the farm to table food movement.)
Another tip from the Governor: the next time your clients fly into BOS, suggest a water shuttle to get into the city. It offers a beautiful view and unique perspective of the skyline and harbour.
Maybe you can also suggest the Bee Gees song as the soundtrack to their trip… “Talk about the life in Massachusetts. Speak about the people I have seen… I will remember Massachusetts.”
