Ginny Kozlowski’s many roles all involve working to improve the New Haven region’s tourism industry and economy.She serves as executive director of Visit New Haven, the Connecticut Lodging Association, Economic Development Corp. of New Haven and REX Development, which is a regional economic development corporation.During the COVID-19 pandemic, which has negatively impacted many area hotels, […]
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Ginny Kozlowski’s many roles all involve working to improve the New Haven region’s tourism industry and economy.
She serves as executive director of Visit New Haven, the Connecticut Lodging Association, Economic Development Corp. of New Haven and REX Development, which is a regional economic development corporation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, which has negatively impacted many area hotels, restaurants and other businesses, Kozlowski has been an advocate and endeavored to help them survive.
Visit New Haven’s website, for example, spotlights the dining, accommodations and attractions the region has to offer. Special initiatives such as “Eat New Haven” have aimed to help local businesses.
Gov. Ned Lamont as of March 19 eased several COVID-19 restrictions and indicated that summer festival organizers should begin planning for the upcoming season. Lamont revised maximum gathering sizes to 100 people indoors and 200 outdoors for commercial venues. As of early April, outdoor event venues are allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity. Bars that only serve beverages continue to remain closed.
With that backdrop and the vaccination campaign underway, Kozlowski talked to New Haven BIZ recently about the pandemic’s impact, and what the coming months have in store for the region’s tourism industry and businesses.
How has the pandemic impacted the New Haven area’s hotels?
They have been severely adversely impacted by the pandemic. Particularly in the short term, and it is too early to say, now that vaccines have started, how long it is going to take to get to 2019 numbers.
What about restaurants?
Those restaurants that were able to quickly pivot to a take-out and outdoor model have fared okay. Those businesses that could not pivot to that type of model are probably not going to be able to reopen without significant changes to the business model. It has also depended on what type of customers they were relying on.
A small coffee shop in New Haven that relied on the office folks who aren’t coming downtown as much because they are working from home is likely to be more challenged than other restaurants. The restaurants that relied on the office lunch crowd, they have long challenges.
And the retail shops?
If you are competing with the big box stores, it has been extremely challenging. As people have worked from home, there might not be as much demand for work clothes, because people are obviously not wearing suits and the traditional business attire.
Dry cleaners have definitely been challenged. Because weddings, bar mitzvahs, graduations and christenings have not been at the same numbers that they were pre-pandemic, our small unique gift shops have struggled as well.
Florists have done better. Bicycle shops are booming. If you own a pool company, recreational business, or sell fireplaces or hot tubs, then you probably have had a very good year.
If you are competing with an online vendor, it makes it much harder for that retail vendor, because they do rely on foot traffic.
What are some of the ways your organizations have worked to help businesses?
We have been advocating on both the federal and state level for more resources. The state has had a number of programs that have provided some cash resources. Some of the hotels and restaurants have been able to secure PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] funding. Some folks have been able to secure the [U.S. Small Business Administration] funding. We have been advocating with the state on the reopening guidelines.
If there is a silver lining to this, Connecticut did not shut down completely like some other states. We have advocated with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the governor’s office, trying to keep that balance between safety and severe economic negative impact.
Gov. Lamont in March reduced restrictions on restaurants and entertainment venues. Are you expecting an early impact on the city’s tourism-related businesses?
Once Gov. Lamont made that announcement, we heard anecdotally from our hotels that people were calling to book small meetings. There is a pent-up demand for small weddings and social gatherings. There are people who are willing to start to meet. That is great news.
With so many businesses still working remotely, we need businesses to get back into their regular travel patterns. We are concerned that businesses have become accustomed to not having airline tickets, hotel rooms, conferences, and other types of expenses that they had paid for.
They are still able to get business done. Plus travel does take time. So there is a real question: How long will it be before that side of travel comes back?
Have special dining promotions had the desired effect?
I have heard that for some restaurants it has been very successful. One of the challenges for some restaurants is getting the information because they are all working with such small staff, to make sure they are participating in all the marketing opportunities that are being provided.
We did the ‘Eat New Haven’ promotion earlier in the winter. And in the summer, there was a big push on making people aware of outdoor dining. There was a greater level of anxiety last summer because we were just learning about the severity of the pandemic.
What will the coming summer and fall look like, such as for promotions and increased activity?
We will see more promotions hitting the market. One of the things that is a concern is that, when people booked and scheduled a series of events, and then there was a pullback in the reopening schedule, that created a high level of customer dissatisfaction.
We are all being cautious in terms of not getting too far ahead of the statistics. As more people get vaccinated, we will boost consumer confidence, and also build business confidence to provide that next level of experience.
We are very eager to see what graduations are going to take place. Quinnipiac University announced an in-person, outside graduation this spring. We may be able to capture some of those folks to stay overnight in a hotel and go out and have a celebratory meal.
Those are the things we are starting to look for and starting to see happening. We are anxiously awaiting other graduation announcements.
May and June are large wedding months. We know many venues are booked for those activities. It is all going to be about that consumer level of confidence and feeling safe and secure.
Have you received more inquiries lately about the region’s outdoor tourism industry?
We do receive calls from people asking about getaways. Some people are looking for a hotel experience with an extended stay, where they can have a kitchen and a refrigerator.
With school systems having spring break, I think parents will be looking for things they can do with their kids, to at least get out of the house. If there is an indoor pool, that is a great option.
As we get closer to summer, we expect we will see state parks filling up early, and I don’t see that demand declining. The same thing with kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking. I think our breweries and our wineries will do very well.
Our farms I think are going to have a great summer. I am keeping my fingers crossed. There is no way I get to influence it, but great weather would be a great benefit to us.
How long do you think it will take city tourism-related businesses to bounce back? How about international guests?
We think overall the industry as a whole, it will probably be 2023, 2024. I think there will be some consumer reluctance to travel by plane, not by all, but by some.
Right now, we are not seeing many international travelers. Ordinarily we do see more travelers from the UK, Germany and France. Their vaccines are in place and travel restrictions are being lifted. The key to recovery is getting that international market — not only from Europe but China and Canada.
Do you think any pandemic-related changes, such as expanded outdoor dining, are here to stay?
I definitely think expanded outdoor dining is here to stay. I think they will get a lot more sophisticated, as we learn more about what is important to consumers.
