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Explore New Bedford reports 1.4 million visits (May2024May2025) and $2M in hotel/meals tax; tourism director defends ROI and grant-funded marketing
Summary
Explore New Bedford Director Ashley Payne told the City Council the department tracked roughly 1.4 million visits between May 2024 and May 2025, and that FY24 hotel and meals tax revenue topped $2 million; she described grant and partnership efforts that expanded the department's reach on a small operating budget.
Ashley Payne, director of tourism and marketing (Explore New Bedford), briefed the City Council on FY25 tourism metrics, marketing efforts and funding. Payne said the city recorded more than $2 million in hotel and meals tax revenue in FY24 and that a private data provider (Placer.ai) estimated about 1.4 million visits to the city from May 2024 to May 2025, producing roughly 96,000 hotel-night stays.
Payne described the department as a…
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