Dear Partners,
This week, I attended the Massachusetts Governor’s Conference on Travel and Tourism on behalf of Discover Gloucester, joining tourism leaders from across the state, region, and country.
My goal was to listen, learn, and bring back the insights that matter most to our community and your businesses.
Here is what you need to know:
Travel has shifted and Gloucester is well positioned
The biggest takeaway from this year’s conference is that travel is no longer about checking off destinations. It is about connection, identity, and experience.
Travelers are becoming more intentional with how they spend their time and money. They are prioritizing meaningful, authentic experiences over volume, often seeking out places where they can connect more deeply with a destination and its people. We are also seeing a continued emphasis on value-driven travel, with many visitors choosing closer-to-home, drive-market destinations over more expensive, long-distance trips.
Travelers are asking:
-Who will I meet?
-What will I experience?
-How will this place make me feel?
This shift plays directly to Gloucester’s strengths. Our working waterfront, creative community, and local businesses offer exactly what today’s traveler is seeking.
What travelers are looking for right now:
Across sessions and conversations, a few clear trends emerged:
• More personal, human experiences with local guides, hosts, and business owners
• Small group, hands-on activities that feel immersive and memorable
• Food, culture, and storytelling as central to the visitor experience
• Outdoor and coastal experiences that support wellness and connection
• Pet-friendly and family-friendly travel that reflects real life
• Events and unique moments that create a reason to visit
People want to experience a place through the people who live it.
AI, search, and how visitors are finding you:
Another important shift is how travelers are planning their trips.
With the rise of AI and what is called “zero-click search,” more travelers are getting answers directly from Google or AI tools without ever clicking through to a website.
This means:
• Your story, images, and information need to be clear, consistent, and accessible across platforms
• Strong content and up-to-date listings matter more than ever
• Visibility is no longer just about website traffic. It is about presence
At Discover Gloucester, we are adapting by focusing on high-quality content, strong partner listings, and strategic storytelling to help ensure your business shows up where travelers are searching.
We are also continuing to evaluate return on investment in this evolving landscape, focusing not just on clicks, but on visibility, engagement, and ultimately, visitor spending in our community.
What this means for you:
Travelers are not just looking for things to do. They are looking for experiences to remember.
That could look like:
• Inviting visitors behind the scenes of your business
• Hosting small group tastings, tours, or workshops
• Partnering with other local businesses to create shared experiences
• Sharing your story in a more visible and intentional way
• Creating offerings that extend into the shoulder seasons
Even small shifts can create meaningful opportunities.
Where Discover Gloucester is focused
At the state level, there is a clear shift from visitor volume to visitor value.
Our work is aligned with that direction:
• Attracting visitors who stay longer and engage more deeply
• Elevating authentic local stories and experiences
• Supporting our partners in reaching new audiences
• Leveraging major opportunities like Massachusetts 250, FIFA, Sail Boston
We are working to position Gloucester as a place to truly experience to visitors beyond a 50 mile radius.
– Amanda Pollock, Executive Director