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‘Still Revolutionary’? Lawmakers Consider Rebranding Connecticut Tourism

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Courtesy of the Connecticut Office of Tourism and the Ivorytown Playhouse

Connecticut lawmakers want to find ways to put some new life into the state’s tourism industry. That could include revisiting its slogan – “Still Revolutionary.”

“The slogan was effective for a period of time, but like any slogan or any brand, it certainly needs an upgrade. And I think we’re looking at taking a more modern approach and looking at something that’s more catchy and relevant to attract millennials,” said State Representative Caroline Simmons, a Democrat from Stamford, who chairs the General Assembly’s commerce committee.

The committee is also considering a bill that would re-open or extend the hours for the state’s visitor welcome centers. One center is closed, and others are only open for limited hours.

“It just doesn’t look attractive when people are driving through our state and see the “Closed” sign on these visitor welcome centers,” said Simmons.

A state report on tourism issued in January found Connecticut spends just over $4 million a year on tourism, less than any other state in the Northeast except Vermont.

Copyright 2019 WSHU

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Davis Dunavin loves telling stories, whether on the radio or around the campfire. He fell in love with sound-rich radio storytelling while working as an assistant reporter at KBIA public radio in Columbia, Missouri. Before coming back to radio, he worked in digital journalism as the editor of Newtown Patch. As a freelance reporter, his work for WSHU aired nationally on NPR. Davis is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism; he started in Missouri and ended up in Connecticut, which, he'd like to point out, is the same geographic trajectory taken by Mark Twain.