Connect with us

Rhode Island

Rhode Island drew record number of visitors in 2023 • Rhode Island Current

Published

on

Rhode Island drew record number of visitors in 2023 • Rhode Island Current


The silver lining of inflation: Rhode Island’s tourism economy benefited from $5.6 billion in visitor spending in 2023, according to new research by a state commissioned consultant.

A presentation by international firm Tourism Economics for Rhode Island Commerce Corporation showed visitor spending grew more than twice as fast as the increase in the number of visitors in 2023. The 28.4 million people who traveled to the Ocean State in 2023 is 2.2% higher than the prior year, but their total spending on travel, food, lodging and entertainment grew 4.6% year-over-year.

That’s driven by demand growth as well as price hikes for commodities and services, according to the research.

More than one-quarter of the direct spending, 26%, stemmed from food and beverage sales. Lodging, including hotels, second houses and short-term rentals, was the second-highest expense, contributing $1.2 billion. 

Advertisement

Air transportation saw the biggest annual increase, up 10.2%, to $328 million in 2023. Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the quasi-public entity that manages the state’s airports, gets a share of revenue from passengers on flights, as well as fees for the airlines to land, use hangar space, and other related services.

In March 2023, Breeze Airways opened a permanent base at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport, with plans to invest $160 million and hire up to 250 employees over the next five years. Commerce awarded the Utah-based airline $2.9 million in tax credits tied to the job creation plans.

Commerce has also experimented with various destination marketing ploys, from giant, traveling stuffed quahogs to the $2.2 million “All That” ad campaign rolled out in February of this year. 

“The economic activity generated from the travel sector represents a critical component of the state’s current and future growth,” Anika Kimble-Huntley, Commerce’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “The Commerce team will continue to work with our great partners, statewide, to support the upward trajectory of tourism and record-breaking visitation.”

Visitor count and direct spending in 2023 broke prior state records, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers. However, the number of jobs tied to the state’s tourism economy remains slightly below its 2019 peak.

Advertisement

The 38,329 jobs directly tied to the tourism economy in 2023 remains about 1,000 jobs, or 2.5%, below 2019 levels. Including jobs that indirectly benefited from tourism, 2023 activity helped to sustain 86,612 jobs, while generating $935 million in state and local tax revenues, according to the research.

“Tourism plays a vital role in Rhode Island’s economy by creating jobs, supporting our local businesses, and showcasing everything that makes our state a premier destination,” Commerce Secretary Liz Tanner said in a statement. “I applaud the dedicated efforts of the tourism team at Rhode Island Commerce and all others in the industry that helped reach this accomplishment.”

Including direct spending, jobs and tax revenue, the visitor economy totaled $8.3 billion in 2023, a 4.5% increase over the prior year.

The research reflects federal labor and jobs statistics, state and local tax revenues, short-term rental information and information from market research group Longwoods International. 

Advertisement

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Rhode Island

In a Small Rhode Island Factory, This Designer Is Championing American Luxury

Published

on

In a Small Rhode Island Factory, This Designer Is Championing American Luxury


Lindy McDonough started her brand, Lindquist (the full version of her Swedish middle name), with a rule about glue. It had to be high quality, holding together the layers of her unique bags, but also free of VOC—a toxic compound used by most leather bag brands—and all other toxins. The rule was a non-starter because it’s both a nexus and metaphor for the brand’s ethos.

In 2020, McDonough started Lindquist with her husband, Conor MacKean, a mechanical engineer, and Kate Gronner, head of production, in a small factory in Providence, Rhode Island. “We had dreams—we still have big dreams—about what we wanted to do, but we wanted to do it the right way,” she tells Vogue. The right way meant ethically handmade bags created by a team that earns competitive wages, with full healthcare and benefits. It also means no toxic dyes, no waste, and only high-quality, vegetable-tanned leather. “[We thought] if we make a beautiful thing and treat people well, it will work,” she says of the beginning stages.

Designer Lindy McDonough in her Rhode Island studio.John Hesselbarth & Kate Foster of Apparition



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Blood Center celebrates holiday season with giveaway for blood donors | ABC6

Published

on

Rhode Island Blood Center celebrates holiday season with giveaway for blood donors | ABC6


This is a file image of a sign at a blood drive at the Rhode Island Blood Center. (WLNE)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Starting today, the Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) will be spreading holiday cheer with a special gift as a thank you for critically needed blood donations.

Donors will receive either a festive pair of socks or a beanie in an effort to encourage blood donations.

Courtesy of the Rhode Island Blood Center.

According to the RIBC, this time of year can be the most challenging for donations, as they can decline 20 to 30% during the last week of December.

Advertisement

RIBC said they encourage new and returning donors to schedule an appointment, and prioritize blood donation this holiday season.

Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month.

The holiday promotion will be available from today until Tuesday, January 3 at all of RIBC’s donor centers.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines or make an appointment, you can visit the RIBC’s website or call 401.453.8383.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Rhode Island

Rhode Island high school hockey schedules, scores and stats for Dec. 20-21

Published

on

Rhode Island high school hockey schedules, scores and stats for Dec. 20-21


The Providence Journal is going to try something new this winter.

Readers swarmed to our weekly football scoreboard in the fall. The state’s football coaches did their part and submitted results to us, and we did our best to publish in a timely manner.

We want to do the same for hockey. We don’t know if it’ll work, but I really hope it does. The readership for hockey is strong and we think if this is done correctly, it will be successful. There’s probably going to be growing pains and it might take a bit to smooth out the kinks. But if done right, it will get hockey players in the paper weekly.

Advertisement

And if we get enough results, we can start publishing ballots for hockey athletes of week. Coaches have been asked to send results to pjsports@providencejournal.com after the games.

Now let’s get to the games from Dec. 20-21.

The top returning high school boys hockey players? Here are 30 players to watch this season

The top returning high school girls hockey players? Here are 14 players to watch this season.

Games are subject to change

Advertisement

Boys schedule

Portsmouth 2, Ponaganset 0

Friday night is a formula Portsmouth boys hockey could use for a repeat championship run.

A quick start, contributions from its second line and a shutout from a title-winning goalie showcased the Patriots’ first win of the season. After trudging through their opening games against Barrington and North Kingstown, the Patriots scored on their first power play vs. Ponaganset.

Chase Pascoe put Portsmouth up with 2:59 left in the first period and then the sophomore tallied again just eight seconds into the second period. Portsmouth’s 2-0 triumph at Levy Arena comes on the heels of an 8-5 defeat to Barrington and 5-2 loss to North Kingstown.

Advertisement

“We need him to produce,” senior captain, Shane Temple said of Pascoe. “That was amazing from him today. And honestly, we just have to play like we did last year – with some heart and grit.”

Pascoe was Portsmouth second leading scorer last year. The sophomore winger finished with 10 goals last winter and is well on his way to topping that mark.

“The first few games were rough,” Temple said. “I feel like we played teams that were just ahead of us at this time in the season. But in both games we lost, we came out really hot in the third period. And I feel like today we fixed that. We came out hot in the beginning of the game and we played the whole game today.”

Goalie Jonathan Cabral faced 27 shots in the win and grabbed his first shutout of the year. Portsmouth finished with 31 shots on net.

“We just need to do the same thing we did last year [to have another successful season],” Cabral said. “And that’s just putting in more effort. Last season we hit a little slump, and then once we started trying a lot more and put in a lot more effort, it came together.”

Advertisement

Barrington 6, Burrillville 2

Revenge came in the first week of the season for Barrington.

The Eagles were swept in the quarterfinals vs. Burrillville last year, but they already toppled the Broncos in their first in-state contest.

Burrillville’s Patrick Murphy redirected Cam Force’s shot for the game’s first goal just three minutes into the night cap of the doubleheader at Levy Arena. But Barrington responded with back-to-back goals in 45 seconds.

A Burrillville turnover in its defensive zone saw Henry Kelsey bury the tying goal off an assist from Joseph Carmone. The Eagles added their second when Austin McCarty found Trent Senn on the crease for a 2-1 lead with 5:03 left in the first period.

Advertisement

Force retied the match with a wrister, top left, with 59 seconds remaining in the opening frame, but that’s all Burrillville could manage.

Connor Hayes made it 3-2 with a goal off a rebound and Kelsey added his second with 5.3 seconds left in the second period. And then Senn and Kelsey finished the night with goals in the third period.

EG/Toll Gate 8, West Warwick/EWG 4

Pilgrim vs. Moses Brown at Thayer Arena, 3:45 p.m.

South Kingstown vs. Nariho at Boss Arena, 6:30 p.m.

RMT vs. North Kingstown at Boss Arena, 8:15 p.m.

Coventry/Johnston vs. Cumberland, ppd.

Smithfield vs. Hendricken, ppd.

Prout vs. La Salle at Smithfield, ppd.

Barrington at New Canaan (CT), 2:30 p.m.

Bishop Guertin vs. Prout at Schneider Arena, 3 p.m.

RMT at Burrillville, 4 p.m.

Cranston vs. Ponaganset at Levy Arena, 6 p.m.

Blackstone vs. Lincoln at Route 146, 6:45 p.m.

La Salle vs. Hendricken at Thayer Arena, 7:45 p.m.

Pilgrim at Smithfield, 8 p.m.

Girls schedule

East Bay vs. Cranston at Cranston Veterans, 8:10 p.m.

SCMB vs. Warwick at Thayer Arena, ppd.

South County at Longmeadow (MA), 2 p.m.

La Salle at Falmouth (MA), 6 p.m.

South County vs. La Salle at Route 146, 4:35 p.m.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending