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Governor urges industry to "meet this moment" as Massachusetts prepares for 250th celebrations
Summary
At a state travel and tourism gathering, the governor praised Massachusetts' strengths, promoted the 250th anniversary events and called for collaboration to tackle housing, energy and health-care challenges while urging the industry to capitalize on a strong travel demand.
The governor told travel and tourism professionals at a state gathering that Massachusetts is poised for a major year of visitors and urged the industry to "meet this moment" as the state marks the nation's 250th anniversary.
"Let's meet this moment, Massachusetts," the governor said, thanking Kate Fox and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism for organizing the event and congratulating award winners.
The governor highlighted the state's strengths, saying Massachusetts ranks No. 1 for schools and education and citing top results in health care and innovation. He also said the state has some of the nation's safest drinking water and the second-highest life expectancy, which he said helps make the commonwealth an attractive destination for travelers.
The remarks promoted several flagship events tied to the 250th commemoration, including the Fourth of July Pops on the Esplanade and the return of Sail Boston, and noted a FIFA exhibition match between Brazil and France as another draw for visitors. "This is a moment of incredible opportunity for our state," the governor said, thanking Martha Sheridan and Meet Boston for their work to bring events forward.
At the same time, the governor acknowledged global and national challenges that affect Massachusetts, referring to people trying to leave Israel and noting how events in Washington and abroad influence state and local budgets. He urged the travel industry to remain mindful of broader economic pressures.
On policy, the governor said his focus includes building more housing to lower costs, increasing energy supply to reduce gas and electric bills and working to lower health-care costs. Those mentions were framed as priorities rather than as new, specific proposals.
The governor characterized travel demand as strong and credited the sector's hotels, restaurants, museums and destination organizations with creating memorable visitor experiences that encourage repeat visits.
He closed by thanking attendees on behalf of the lieutenant governor, Kim Driscoll, and said both officials look forward to seeing industry partners across the state in the coming year.
The governor's remarks were introductory and promotional in tone; no formal actions or policy directives were taken during the session as transcribed.
