June 3, 2020
COVID Update #16
Lea Filson, Executive Director, See Plymouth
We’re rounding the bend and heading for normalcy, sort of. Normalcy now means a very different world than when we began this historic situation. Even with social distancing, wearing a mask, and smaller crowds, I truly yearn to be around other people. We are all anxious to see if we can survive in this new normal. Our end game must be to survive and continue offering our visitors and locals a reason to spend time and money in the town and county of Plymouth.

Tourism, as we go through the recovery phases set by the Commonwealth, will have starts and stops. We may move ahead, or go back, depending on the possibility of a virus resurgence in Massachusetts. On our end, See Plymouth has continued working remotely and is returning to the office as of June 8. Our office was sanitized by ServePro this week and we have closed all interior doors to each office separating us from each other. Our hours are such that only one person will occupy an office at a time, except for Tricia and Georgia who are nine feet apart.

By now you have received your See Plymouth guide. Soon we will begin distributing them to those who can use them. Please let us know, as some are no longer allowing anything but digital communications with visitors. When it went to print, we were anticipating a brisk year of activity for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth. My how things have changed.

We will now pivot our advertising plans toward local and regional visitation and promote our partners as well as the new Plymouth 400 anniversary schedule. 

We will be conducting a ZOOM joint board meeting for Destination Plymouth and the Plymouth County CVB on Thursday, June 25 at 9:00 a.m . We will send out an email blast to remind you. We’d love you to join as we discuss our tourism needs and options. We will also exchange ideas among each other to solve problems we are experiencing.

As a member of the Plymouth Recovery Task Force, I am collaboratively working to share information from this important group. Any problems you need help with, please email or call me and I’ll take it to the task force to help solve. As a way to dispel anxiety, we have come up with a fun contest
Destination Analysts webinars are must-see for me to gauge traveler sentiment.

Here is one of the most important take-aways from this week. This is only from a survey from THIS WEEK and should change with more positive results in time.

Watch the webinar right .


A few years from now, when business begins to equal pre-COVID levels, we will all be exchanging stories. If this is like Hurricane Katrina was for me, I will choose to try to forget as much about it as possible and remember only the positives that resulted from the crisis. 

Please take time to read other information we are sharing this week, including our usual weekly update from USTA.

CNN has Joined with WTO for an International Travel Partnership
Should We Post a Uniform Safety
and Hygiene Notice? 
Why You Need a Break from Your
Stay-at-Home COVID Break
Why Hotels Should Not
Drop Room Rates 
What to Expect this Summer
at the Airport
Tour Guides Needed! Despite the current COVID-19 climate, Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association (CCCGA) is still planning for tours this harvest season. We currently have many tours booked for September and October and are waiting on the travel industry to move ahead with business. We have a small list of interested people already but are still seeking industry individuals to serve as tour guides for our cranberry bog tours. Retired, actively farming, spouses…we are open to anyone with a working knowledge of the cranberry growing industry! Our goal is to have a large group of tour guides so the time commitment doesn’t get overwhelming for anyone. A stipend for your time will be available. A training for anyone interested will be held this spring. Each tour guide will have an ‘assistant guide’ who will serve as the administrative person handling bus directions, gift bags, client count, etc. If you would like to be put on the list, please email Bonnie at bsoule@cranberries.org or call the office. Thank you for your help in promoting the Massachusetts cranberry industry and the work of the Association!

Seeking Bogs for Tours In addition to tour guides, we are also looking for bogs that are easily and safely accessible by bus. If you would be interested in providing a tour location during harvest season, please email Bonnie at bsoule@cranberries.org to find out more.
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