Newport's tourism industry is finding its footing after experiencing dramatic swings during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, Evan Smith, president and CEO of Discover Newport, told What'sUpNewp during a one-on-one conversation on Thursday.
"We just went through a deep valley and then a high peak," Smith said. "The deep valley was Covid, probably the worst nine months ever for the travel industry, nationally and internationally."
Smith explained that when travel restrictions eased, Newport saw a rapid rebound. "When people got the freedom to travel again, we quickly escalated to one of the highest mountains we've ever been on the highest peak."
This year, however, has seen a leveling off. While some numbers are down from last year's peak, they remain above 2019 levels, Smith noted.
The tourism landscape continues to evolve, with visitors seeking new experiences. "People are looking for new activities and new experiences that they can find," Smith said, highlighting the diversity of offerings in Newport and surrounding communities.
Addressing concerns about over-tourism, Smith acknowledged that Newport reaches saturation points during peak periods, particularly on about 14 summer weekends. However, he emphasized that this is not the case year-round.
"We're touching that red point of saturation, certainly. I don't think that the numbers support that we're oversaturated midweek or on the shoulder seasons or in the dead of winter," Smith said.
Discover Newport is working to mitigate these issues by promoting off-peak travel and spreading visitors across the region's nine towns. The organization also sponsors initiatives to improve mobility, including a free summer shuttle that Smith says has significantly reduced car traffic.
"When we made it free, we moved ridership from 50,000 to 150,000 people," Smith said. "We took 70,000 cars off the road by just managing that one sponsorship."
The conversation around tourism in Newport has recently focused on taxation, with some city council members proposing increased fees for non-residents. Smith urged a more balanced approach, highlighting the significant revenue the city already generates from tourism.
"Newport's making close to $5 million in its lodging tax, it's making 3.3 million in its meals tax, it's making $400,000 on mooring fees," Smith said, adding that the travel and tourism industry is worth over a billion dollars to the city.
Smith called for a "kinder and gentler conversation" about tourism's role in Newport, emphasizing the need for sustainability that benefits residents, workers, and visitors alike.
Looking to the future, Smith suggested that now might be the perfect time for Newport to develop a comprehensive tourism master plan. This would be distinct from Discover Newport's marketing plan, instead focusing on how tourism should be integrated into the community.
"I think that this is a perfect time for a tourism master plan done by an accomplished, well-respected third-party consultant to come in," Smith said. He expressed Discover Newport's willingness to partner with city officials on such an initiative.
As for his own future, Smith remained coy about rumors of his potential retirement, saying only that the Discover Newport board would release a statement about his future with the organization in late October.
"You know, I've heard those rumors too. People tapping me on the shoulder. So the answer for today, Ryan, is that our 18-member board will be releasing a statement about my future with the organization sometime late in October. So I don't mean to dodge your question right now, but the… As Peter Paul Mary said, the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. But you got to wait until the end of October for the answer to that one," Smith said.
Regardless of what comes next, Smith emphasized the ongoing importance of resident engagement in shaping Newport's tourism landscape. He encouraged locals to be ambassadors for their city and to continue sharing ideas and feedback.
"I hope that we can have healthy communication line with residents," Smith said. "Because I can't say enough about an organization like Newport in Bloom. Those people have great civic pride in our community."
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