Location: Jiminy Peak
As we close out 2018, 1Berkshire is happy to report that the 2017 tourism impact numbers are in and they show an 8% increase in total economic impact over 2016. For 2017, the total economic impact of tourism in The Berkshires was $827 million dollars. Jobs directly related to tourism supported 4,344 residents throughout the county in 2017, continuing the growth in the number of jobs for the sixth year in a row, which brings associated payroll to $137.5 million.
“Tourism continues to be an integral part of the Berkshire economy, sustaining economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for residents in the region,” stated Lindsey Schmid, 1Berkshire’s Director of Marketing.
Visitors in the Berkshires generated $517 million of spending at local businesses throughout the county in 2017. This spending returned almost $27 million to the state in tax revenue, and Berkshire communities received an additional $14.9 million to use for local services. This data comes from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, which defines visitors as those who are more than 50 miles away from home.
This 8% growth speaks to the momentum building here in the Berkshires and is also helping to drive private investment in the area. A few examples of this investment include the development of TOURISTS Welcome, Canyon Ranch’s development of luxury condominiums, and the expansion of Shire City Herbals, which collectively have brought $45 million of investment to our area in 2017-2018. In addition, the recent announcement that Wayfair will be creating 300 new jobs and investing several million dollars at a sales support and call center in Pittsfield over the next two years shows that businesses small and large can see themselves in the Berkshires.
“We are so happy to see this continually growing energy around regional investment. With more people than ever visiting the Berkshires and spending their dollars at our local businesses, we’re seeing more money for our communities and more jobs for our residents. Further, there is also growth in other sectors and a lot of that can be attributed to the increasingly more vibrant atmosphere tourism is fueling”, explained Jonathan Butler, President and CEO of 1Berkshire.
“1Berkshire has an excellent track record of getting a great return on investment for what we spend on marketing the Berkshires,” Butler continued. “Now we can augment our marketing ability with our economic development strengths to work directly with companies or individuals looking to invest in our area. It is a win-win situation for the Berkshires.”
