Keeping Connecticut Open For Business
It was a holiday luncheon in need of cheer.
I met with members of the Connecticut Lodging Association last Friday for their annual holiday luncheon and was asked to share my ideas on spurring economic growth. These business owners are faced with a 4.4 percent decline in occupancy this year, far worse than last year. Needless to say, the mood was a bit somber.
I told them, “You have to take matters into your own hands. Small business is the lifeblood of our economy. Small business creates 70 percent of the jobs in this country.”
It was a message CLA members needed to hear after three hotels closed this year and 14 more had restructured their debt. Several members conceded that they are struggling to meet their goals and they see no end to the recession.
Ten percent of American workers are employees at hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and lodges.
In Connecticut, travel and tourism provides 110,000 jobs, nearly seven percent of the workforce.
These folks deserve a fighting chance. My wish for them in the New Year is simple — prosperity.
It’s time for a change. It’s time for something different. We need to work to keep the doors of small businesses open.