Date: Fri 23-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

tourism-Brashich-HVTD-HVTC

Full Text:

(feature on HVTD Executive Director Catherine Brashich, 5/23/97)

HVTD Director Catherine Brashich-

Bringing New Life Into The Housatonic Tourism District

(with photos, graphics, dropquote)

BY SHANNON HICKS

According to Catherine Brashich, tourism is a lot more than non-residents

visiting an area's museums or restaurants. Tourism, explains the new executive

director of the Housatonic Valley Tourism District, includes enticing people

to visit an area, getting them to stay over at least one night, and helping

them enjoy any number of attractions within an area. Tourism is a huge

marketing industry.

A tourist, according to the Travel Industry Association of America, is someone

who travels more than 50 miles away from home, motivated by a special event,

and probably stays overnight.

A tourism's executive director, then, is responsible for guiding tourists.

Directors such as Ms Brashich, who began directing the Housatonic Valley two

months ago, are also responsible for creating special events within areas,

promoting such events to tourists and residents, and building and fostering a

positive image for the area under his or her aegis.

Newtown is part of the nine-town Housatonic Valley District created four years

ago. Connecticut's 11 statewide tourism districts were first established

during the 1980s. In 1993 the districts were reshaped to better reflect each

district's economic units. In addition to Newtown, the Housatonic Valley

Tourism District (HVTD) is made up of Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield,

Danbury, New Fairfield, Redding, Ridgefield and Sherman.

Each district is led by an executive director, who oversees any

tourism-oriented activity taking place within the district. The director works

with a board of tourism commissioners and a staff of volunteers to create,

shape and organize such events.

"The prime objective of an executive director," says Catherine Brashich, "is

to bring tourists into your community more." Catherine took control of the

Housatonic Valley's executive director helm on March 3. She already has the

support of not only her staff, but the commission that governs the district,

the Housatonic Valley Tourism Commission (HVTC).

An executive director is responsible for destination development within their

districts - bringing all the components of product development, cooperative

advertising and consulting in the picture - and the marketing of their area.

It is a high-pressure, constantly moving and on-the-go profession deeply

steeped in marketing and people-relations skills.

"Until Catherine got here, we never realized what the district was missing,"

said Laszlo Pinter, chairman of HVTC. "She's dynamite. She is going to take

this district to the top of the state.

"Has she hit the ground running? Yes, and more so," Mr Pinter said recently.

"She is waking up a sleeping dog and she definitely has a sense of purpose.

The commission, obviously, is behind her."

HVTD's offices are located on Main Street in Danbury (incorporated 1687), the

oldest town/city within district limits. While the prime objective of HVTD may

be to entice more visitors to the region, HVTD also benefits those already

living within its borders, as well.

In order to keep its finger on the pulse points of the nation's major hotel

chains, car rental chains, travel agencies and airports, HVTD is a member of

the Travel Industry Association of America. It is also a member of the

International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus.

HVTD is the group responsible for publishing calendars every three months that

present events open to the public. It publishes pamphlets with Housatonic Area

Regional Transit bus schedules (as well as the new CityCenter trolley service

in Danbury); maps of trails and roads in the district providing suggestions

for specific tours such as driving, bicycling or hiking; and information

directories covering the district as a whole or each town as an autonomous

area. Its publications are available, free of charge, from libraries, schools

and the district's office.

Prompted by what she saw as an emerging need - to educate people in tourism

aspects when visiting cities for conferences or seminars - while in her

previous career, Catherine joined a mid-career program and graduated from NYU

in 1983 with a masters in travel/tourism.

From 1992 until earlier this year, she was associate director of New York

City's Welcome Visitor Program. The program's mission was to generate

enthusiasm and balance negative publicity (prospective tourists' objections to

the city's crime, dirt, etc), by matching one of approximately 500 volunteers

with tourists who wanted to see parts of the city.

Catherine was responsible for marketing the non-profit program's use. Tourists

came from all over the world, and Catherine was the one who matched tourists

with the volunteers who could show the visitors any aspect of the city they

wanted to explore in depth. She also maintained press relations, not only

getting the word out in American press about the program, but also meeting

foreign travel writers who could promote the program in their home land.

A New Look At

Tourism's Profits

"Today, we are trying to interpret the Housatonic Valley in a new way, as a

leisure and recreation destination," says the new HVTD director.

Catherine has a few ideas she would like to implement, to capitalize on some

of the area's natural attractions. In Newtown, for example, where the campus

of the former Fairfield Hills Hospital is populated with large, open brick

buildings, debate continues over what will be done with the state-owned

property in the future. Catherine would like to put the buildings to good use.

"I would like to turn that area into a spa," she says. "If we could do that, I

would be the happiest person in the world! Those buildings are irreplaceable.

It would be a shame to ever see them torn down."

For the rolling hills and buildings of the central Newtown property, Catherine

envisions cross-country, hiking and horseback riding trails and tennis courts.

The natural beauty of the surrounding acreage would make the location a

perfect destination for tourists looking for a getaway, or an attractive day

trip for Newtown and area towns' residents.

"That kind of arrangement would attract to Newtown, and a greater radius,"

Catherine explained. "It would create jobs and revenue - we need things like

this to contribute to the economy. And Newtown has such historical character.

I want to promote visiting, and returning."

The Housatonic Valley is already a money-maker; Catherine wants to see it

improved upon. Tourism activities from the nine towns combined created 3,000

jobs last year and brought $190 million into the state's budget, says Laszlo

Pinter.

According to Congressman Jim Maloney, tourism is the second largest and

fastest growing industry in the country. Last year, 54 million Americans

traveled overseas, while 144 million tourists visited the US.

Tourism accounts for six percent of the overall input into the United States

economy. In comparison, the entire health industry accounts for seven percent

of the economy, said Congressman Maloney.

Nationwide, tourism accounted for more than $15 billion generated within the

economy in 1996, the congressman said last week when addressing a group of

tourism officials in kicking off National Tourism Week. The group included

hoteliers, chambers of commerce members, and local state legislators.

"Travel and tourism have always brought economic growth and economic

prosperity," Congressman Maloney said. "In Connecticut, tourism is not just

people taking tours to see leaves."

Catherine's new job also includes making existing events better. She would

like to work with Newtown's Family Life Center to help make the non-profit

organization's annual December house tour even more successful. Ridgefield

offers a similar event Catherine would like to see maximized for the town, and

district's, benefit.

Revolutionary War re-enactments held at Putnam Park in Redding are another

series of events Catherine plans to work with, as is the annual mini grand

prix in downtown Danbury each summer. Catherine and the HVTD have begun

planning a number of golfing, cycling and river sports events, like kayaking

and canoeing, within our region.

"These are activities which make this area so outstanding. The Housatonic

Valley is very much `into' special events," Catherine says. "You plan events

to attract people to an area. Upon arriving, they find they will be in an area

conducive to other events.

This is not Catherine's first time living in the Nutmeg State; she was born

and raised in Hartford. She attended Trinity before entering her professional

career, eventually ending up in New York. Because Catherine's latest change of

careers came on fairly short notice, she has yet to purchase her new home. Her

interview was interrupted by phone calls, two of which came from her real

estate agent.

Currently between permanent homes, she is spending a lot of time staying at

different hotels within the district; testing out the products she has to

promote, so to speak. She does not walk in to the hotels and tell the staff

who she is, of course, but admits managers do eventually recognize her.

"It's a live test for our hotels," Catherine says. "It's giving me a lot of

insight. How they treat me translates into how I can represent them.

"The staff sees me as a regular guest, and fortunately, all of them have been

very helpful.

"I am making a lifestyle change," says the woman who has taken on the role of

being the district's biggest cheerleader. "I want to be able to sell it

honestly to other people."