Latest news with #MeetBoston
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Michael Busack steps into the spotlight as new head of Club Passim
Advertisement With the Trustees, music was a part of the bigger job. Now, as executive director of Passim, one of the country's most prominent folk music venues, it's his entire job. He oversees a $1.5 million annual budget with 10 full- and part-time administrative staffers, as well as a roster of around 40 part-time servers, teachers, and event workers — with shows and classes happening almost every day of the year. Among his challenges will be figuring out how to expand Passim's presence beyond the walls of the cozy basement club and its offices and classrooms on a floor above the club, in a Harvard University -owned building at the corner of Church and Palmer streets. 'There's no room to grow in this current space,' Busack said. 'We're programmed to the max.' Advertisement Passim's leaders are in active conversations to help present shows at bigger, different venues across Greater Boston. The goals: to broaden the number of people who can come to the shows, expand the programming beyond the traditional folk music the club is known for, and reach different audiences. 'We have to think a little bigger and bolder about how we continue to operate in the future,' Busack said. Most staffers sing or play an instrument of some sort, and usually show off their talents at a quarterly show put on by Passim employees and board members. Busack said he hopes to pick up an instrument at some point so he can join in. 'The team here is encouraging me to take lessons,' Busack said. 'This will give me the right amount of pressure to figure something out. I don't want to not contribute as the new guy.' New role for Meet Boston exec Hilina Ajakaiye is taking a new job as chief strategy officer at the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals. HANDOUT Meet Boston 's Hilina Ajakaiye is stepping into a new national role, but she's not stepping away from Boston. This week, Ajakaiye takes a new job as chief strategy officer at the Staying in Boston allows her to maintain her roles at local nonprofits, including as board chair of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and a board member of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts . Ajakaiye joined Meet Boston, the region's tourism bureau, in 2020 as its executive vice president. As the world reopened from the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped chief executive Martha Sheridan reposition Meet Boston to better support the industry's recovery. Advertisement Ajakaiye — a first-generation Ethiopian immigrant — strengthened Meet Boston's connection to communities of color and helped spearhead the 'There's a huge opportunity,' Ajakaiye said. 'A lot of folks don't know how to galvanize the community and how to make people feel welcome, so that'll be my focus.' Nonprofit law firms team up Pioneer Law president Frank Bailey. Photo courtesy of Pioneer For the past few years, Boston has essentially had two free-market-oriented, nonprofit law firms, the Pioneer Public Interest Law Center and the New England Legal Foundation . Now, there will be only one, as the Pioneer law center acquires some of NELF's assets, including the brand name. The Pioneer law center will be rebranded as the Pioneer New England Legal Foundation , or PNELF, and led by Frank Bailey , a former federal judge who became Pioneer's first president in 2022. (The Pioneer law center is a separate nonprofit from the Pioneer Institute led by Jim Stergios , though they share back-office services, among other connections.) Bailey said NELF's board decided to wind down its operations, so it reached out to Bailey and Pioneer chair Brackett Denniston to propose what Bailey calls a 'strategic alliance.' Several NELF board members are joining the Pioneer law center's board, as is NELF president Natalie Logan ; NELF attorney Ben Robbins is now on Pioneer's four-person legal staff. And Pioneer will also take over the John G. L. Cabot Award Dinner, an annual NELF fund-raiser that will return in 2026. Advertisement Both groups get involved in legal cases related to economic fairness and free enterprise, Bailey said, though Pioneer also works on cases that advance educational opportunity or government transparency. Unlike NELF, which focused on appellate cases, Pioneer will also initiate complaints, and follow them through to trial, if necessary. Pioneer also has welcomed members of the various NELF advisory councils in New England, who help surface legal causes worth championing. 'We're going to be more effective,' Bailey said. 'We have been involved in matters outside of Massachusetts already [but] the best way to do that is to have people on the ground in those other states. That's what the advisory councils bring us.' 'First big milestone' for Holocaust museum At the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Holocaust Museum Boston, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, center, spoke with Jody Kipnis (left), and Todd Ruderman (right), cofounders of the Holocaust Legacy Foundation and Holocaust Museum Boston. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Jody Kipnis has been working on the concept of Here were Boston Mayor Michelle Wu , city Councilor Ed Flynn , and State House power brokers — including Senate President Karen Spilka , House Speaker Ron Mariano , and House Ways and Means chair Aaron Michlewitz — gathered to salute this once-crazy dream Kipnis and Todd Ruderman had, a dream that's getting much closer to reality. 'I don't think it hit until today, the gravity of what we're doing,' Kipnis said afterward. 'This was the first big milestone for us, publicly.' When general contractor Lee Kennedy Co. completes the project in late 2026, the Holocaust Museum Boston will stretch across six floors of a 33,000-square-foot building at 125 Tremont St., facing Boston Common. Kipnis, a former dental hygienist, now leads the Holocaust Legacy Foundation , a nonprofit she formed in 2018 with Ruderman to keep the stories and lessons from the Holocaust alive for new generations. Advertisement Their foundation bought a three-story building on that site for $11.5 million in 2022, using money that Ruderman and Kipnis contributed. Their initial plans called for retrofitting the structure, but then they decided to build something new, and twice the size, to fulfill their ambitious vision. They say they have raised around two-thirds of the $100 million construction cost; a supplemental budget under consideration at the State House could provide up to $10 million in state funds. It all started with a trip they took in 2018 to Auschwitz with Holocaust survivor and friend David Schaecter , who told them: You've seen Auschwitz, so now what are you going to do? The foundation they created was initially intended to fund fellowships for teens to learn about the Holocaust. The COVID-19 pandemic paused that plan. Kipnis and Ruderman came up with a more ambitious one. The museum will feature a donated Nazi-era rail car, personal artifacts from the Holocaust, as well as an interactive holographic exhibit featuring interviews with Schaecter. 'This is not a Jewish museum, this is a museum for everyone,' said Ruderman, owner of the Value Store It chain. 'We're using the Jewish people as an example of what happens when democracy breaks down.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Hilina Ajakaiye is leaving Meet Boston for big role with national convention trade group
Staying in Boston also allows her to maintain her roles at local nonprofits, including as board chair of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and a board member of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts. Ajakaiye joined Meet Boston, the region's tourism marketing bureau, in 2020 as its executive vice president. It was a pivotal moment when COVID-19 decimated the travel industry, and as the world re-opened, she helped CEO Martha Sheridan reposition Meet Boston to better support the industry's recovery. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ajakaiye — a first-generation Ethiopian immigrant who understands how travel can provide economic opportunity — strengthened Meet Boston's connection to communities of color and helped spearhead the Advertisement That's a key reason why the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals wanted to bring Ajakaiye on board – to build the pipeline of Black travel professionals and bring awareness to the size of the Black travel market in the US, Advertisement 'There's a huge opportunity,' said Ajakaiye, who also wants to attract more Black tourists here from abroad. 'It's really a win and win for everyone. But a lot of folks don't know how to galvanize the community and how to make people feel welcome so that'll be my focus.' This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene. Shirley Leung is a Business columnist. She can be reached at
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boston tourism projected to see 10% drop in international visitors in 2025
Boston had hoped this year would bring a boost in international tourism, including visits from more than 800,000 Canadians. But revised projections paint a bleaker picture. Despite initial forecasts for a 9% increase in foreign visitors, Boston is now expected to see international tourism drop 10% compared to last year, according to Meet Boston, the city's privately run tourism organization. The decline is driven primarily by an expected 20% to 25% dip in Canadian visitors, Boston's greatest source of international travelers. But it is also made worse by lower-than-forecast tourism from other nations, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany. The prevailing sentiment in Boston's tourism industry is, 'We'll see,' said Dave O'Donnell, vice president of strategic communications for Meet Boston. International travel to Boston has not taken a significant hit so far this year, a cause for 'cautious optimism,' he said. But nationwide, the tourism industry is looking ahead with trepidation to the busy summer travel season. Meet Boston expects the city to welcome 657,000 Canadian visitors this year, 21% lower than the 833,000 in 2024. British tourists are forecast to decline from 185,000 last year to 171,000 this year, while Chinese visitors could drop from 135,000 to 124,000. If the current projections hold, and international tourism falls 10%, Boston's revenue from foreign visitors could fall from $2.7 billion in 2024 to $2.5 billion in 2025, according to data provided to Meet Boston from Tourism Economics, a leading global tourism advisory company. International travelers have historically made up 10% of Boston tourist volume. Yet they account for about 15% of visitor spending annually, according to Meet Boston. Thousands of people in Greater Boston are employed in industries that rely on tourist dollars. As of March, more than 253,000 people in the vast Boston metro area were employed in the hospitality and leisure industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 56,000 Bostonians worked in 'accommodations and food services,' according to a city report from last year. Yet not everyone is looking at the summer with foreboding. Group reservations are up this year at Boston Duck Tours. Since opening for the season at the end of March, international visitors have increased from the same period last year. 'We're not talking hundreds of thousands of tickets this early on, but if we're looking at signs of things pointing in the right direction, it's encouraging,' Tom Vigna, the Duck Boats' director of marketing and sales, said. 'Right now, the rain is having a little more of an impact than anything else going on in the world,' he added. Most analysts project international tourism to drop off across the country this year, a combination of economic factors and growing disdain for the U.S. abroad, according to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. Statewide, the office expects 4.4% fewer overseas visitors this year compared to last year, based on data from Tourism Economics. A 'steep decline' in tourism to the U.S. is in motion, the organization warned last month. 'Policies and pronouncements from the Trump administration have contributed to a growing wave of negative sentiment toward the U.S. among potential international travelers,' it said. 'Heightened border security measures and visible immigration enforcement actions are amplifying concerns. These factors, combined with a strong U.S. dollar, are creating additional barriers for those considering travel to the U.S.' Some foreign tourists may be spooked by the strict enforcement of immigration laws and look to recent incidents of tourists being detained or turned away at the border. Many foreign tourists are less willing to consider vacationing in the U.S., angry at the hostility from the Trump administration to other nations and, in the case of Canada in particular, defiantly deciding to spend their dollars domestically, O'Donnell said. The drop-off in Canadian visitors to the U.S. is not solely attributable to hostile rhetoric from President Donald Trump, O'Donnell said. There are economic factors too, including the strength of the U.S. dollar compared to the Canadian dollar. But he said those challenges are longstanding, and the geopolitical tensions have 'severely exacerbated' the decline in Canadian tourism. The Office of Travel and Tourism said it has done its best to combat the concerns of potential international visitors, assuring foreigners that despite what they see from the U.S. on the national level, Massachusetts remains a welcoming state for foreigners. 'While we recognize that global conditions are shifting and travelers are weighing new factors in their decisions, [Massachusetts] is focused on ensuring that our message to international audiences is clear: Massachusetts is open and ready to welcome all visitors,' Kate Fox, the office's executive director, said in a statement to MassLive. 'Tourism is vital to our economy and our communities, and we remain proactive in reinforcing Massachusetts as a premier destination for visitors from near and far.' The fall-off in foreign visitors is hopefully not as significant for Boston as other areas of the country, O'Donnell said. Another potential silver lining is that Boston is still forecast to see increasing tourism from some parts of the world this year, including India, Brazil and the Middle East. Tourism from countries such as Italy has not dropped off as much as Canada or the U.K. Expanded flights to Boston — including from Madrid, Spain; Edinburgh, Scotland; Milan, Italy; and Vancouver and Halifax, Canada — could also provide a crucial boost for Boston's tourism industry. However, business travel has already taken a hit, data show, including from Canada and Mexico — two of the nation's top trading partners — and from Europe. The combination of dropping international tourism, tariffs, trade wars and unpredictable immigration policies 'really are creating a sense of fear and concern' among small businesses, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Wednesday. 'Boston has been very clear — we are a city that is welcoming to everyone," she said. 'This is a community where we welcome and protect not just our own residents, but all those who are visiting and all those who help contribute to our vibrant economy.' Americana band hopes to 'slingshot forward' following Boston Calling debut Alex Cora hints at possible Boston Red Sox roster moves with bullpen taxed Red Sox reactions: Offense wastes Lucas Giolito's gem Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer's trip to MLB debut included search for car keys lost 3 weeks ago Red Sox make 5 roster moves: Alex Bregman to IL with 'significant' quad strain Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local, national tourism bracing for a dip in international travelers this Summer, says WTTC
With the summer season right around the corner, experts are preparing for a roughly $12.5 billion projected drop nationwide in tourism this year. Locally, Boston tourism leaders are also preparing for fewer international travelers this summer. 'We've seen a little bit of a slip in the economy, I'll be honest with you,' said Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of Meet Boston. 'We are bracing for the fact we could see slightly lower visitor numbers this summer... Just the uncertainty with the politics right now could have an impact.' According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the US could lose roughly $12.5 billion in international travel in 2025. The projection would bring totals to $169 billion in 2025, compared to $181 billion in 2024. Victor Matheson, professor of economics at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, has been tracking this trend all year. 'This is not a surprise at all,' said Matheson Saturday. 'We've seen lots of people, for example, from Canada say, 'Look if you're going to treat our country with disrespect, there are a lot of other places besides the US to engage in tourism.'' He told Boston 25 over the weekend that the US saw a record number of 7 million international travelers just last August. While it may be a hit to the wallets of the tourism sector, it may bring lower prices in some instances due to less demand. This spring, Sheridan has been working with other regional directors of tourism who are also preparing for a potential dip. She directed Bostonians, 'Maybe go a little bit above and beyond to make sure we make those international visitors feel like this is a place for them... We want them to know Boston is a welcoming city for all.' A full list of events scheduled this summer in Boston can be found at Meet Boston | Your Official Guide to Boston. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Boston needs more tourists. Are Michelin stars the way to get them?
in 1900 by a French tire company to inspire more road trips, is a sign that your city's culinary scene has arrived — worthy of mention in the same breath as restaurants in New York, Paris, and London. Some cities don't need to pay for Michelin to show up; others like Boston and Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The reason Meet Boston can even do this is because the not-for-profit organization has a gusher of money flowing from a three-year-old surcharge on hotel rooms in Boston and Cambridge that generates tens of millions of dollars a year to boost tourism. Advertisement So what's the best way to spend that money? Some would like the agency to invest more in homegrown grassroots festivals and programming to develop the next wave of signature events that draw visitors from all over New England and beyond. Think the next generation of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, Boston Calling, and First Night. Advertisement Meet Boston does dole out money to community-oriented events, but the disparity of those investments can be huge. Established events can receive $100,000 or more from Meet Boston, while programs like the This year, BAMS Fest founder and executive artistic director Catherine T. Morris spoke onstage at BAMS Fest in 2023. Katy Beth Barber Morris was inspired by Philadelphia's BAMS Fest drawing tens of thousands of attendees over the years, Morris felt like it was the right time to take things to the next level. Weeks after the Globe began asking questions about Meet Boston's funding formula, Morris learned she would be receiving $100,000. It's not $450,000, but she considers it a good start. 'I initially was like, yes!' Morris said. 'So the investment is growing, but I also had mixed emotions regarding what more [money] could do.' Meet Boston's budget has ballooned since 2022, Advertisement That's a huge step up. Before the new levy, Meet Boston — formerly known as the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau — The money has enabled Meet Boston to more than double the size of its staff to about 65 people, spend more on marketing, launch a grant-making programming that gives out roughly $4 million a year, and bankroll initiatives like bringing the Michelin Guide to Boston. But the fact that Meet Boston has money to give out isn't widely known. Some organizations, like the JerkFest is an annual celebration of Caribbean cooking held each year at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston. Mark J. Hunt 'I had no idea,' said Susan Chinsen, who works at ArtsEmerson and founded the festival in 2008. The process, she added, felt a 'little exclusive.' Now that she knows the grants exist, Chinsen plans to seek $50,000. That money would allow her to fly in more filmmakers and actors to promote their films at the festival, which draws a few thousand attendees every fall. She thinks more out-of-state visitors would come if she could partner with hotels to offer weekend packages. Even on a shoe-string budget, Chinsen has been able to get Hollywood talent to come to Boston, including George Takei, of Star Trek fame, and Oscar-winning director Ang Lee ('Brokeback Mountain' and 'Life of Pi'). Advertisement Carole Copeland Thomas, a longtime Meet Boston board member who chairs the Multicultural Committee, acknowledged the organization can do a better job with outreach. Over the past two years, Meet Boston has spent nearly $11 million supporting events, and of that, about 25 percent has gone toward multicultural events. 'Clearly, there are new opportunities to let more groups in our city know who we are,' Copeland Thomas said. 'Like any dynamic organization, Meet Boston always strives to represent the full potential of our destination by engaging with diverse communities, events, and organizations that help to drive the travel economy.' Typically, money from the special tourism tax district is supposed to go toward large-scale events that drive overnight stays, especially during periods when there aren't a lot of tourists, like wintertime. Community events don't tend to generate hotel nights. I get why hotels and Meet Boston — its board is stacked with hotel executives — favor visitors who can stay the weekend here, but there's an inherent bias in that strategy, one that gravitates toward established events. Meet Boston has the power to change that dynamic, and it has sometimes done so, putting six-figure resources into Perhaps now more than ever these multicultural gatherings — many of them rooted in neighborhoods of color celebrating the city's diversity — need substantial support at a time when other sources are drying up. Advertisement Another framework to consider is how the The afterparty at the end of the Embrace Ideas Festival in 2023. Vincent Alban For The Boston Globe When I talked to Meet Boston chief executive Martha Sheridan about the bureau's grants, she said the strategy is evolving. 'We don't have unlimited funds,' Sheridan said. 'We are going to have to really figure out a way to get more bang for the buck if you will, and make sure that we can spread the wealth enough but not so much that our investments aren't meaningful. It's a balancing act.' Meet Boston is betting big on the Michelin Guide shining a spotlight on the region's restaurants. Yet the whole thing can feel like a 'Will those Michelin chasers be going to the small mom & pop ethnic, up-and-coming or tried-and-true spots? Probably not,' wrote Jacqueline Church, owner of Boston Chinatown Tours, As federal and corporate funding grows scarce, Meet Boston can meet the moment to help more local events grow and spread tourism dollars into more neighborhoods of Boston. Not doing so is a lost opportunity. Advertisement Shirley Leung is a Business columnist. She can be reached at
