CULTURAL RESILIENCE

The fiscal damage created by the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt across the globe. Arguably, one of the hardest hit industries is the arts and entertainment world. A year later, the breadth of the damage left in the wake of this crisis is frighteningly beginning to surface. Theatres throughout the country, many already operating on a shoestring, officially announcing their permanent closures; museums regrouping to avoid being shuttered; iconic tourist attractions sadly becoming a part of history past—the fallout is real and long lasting.

Ann Marie Casey, executive director of the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and co-chair of the MA Regional Tourism Councils shares, “North of Boston’s tourism industry generates 1.2 billion dollars a year. These numbers encompass lodging, dining, entertainment, retail trade, and transportation from visitors to the region who live at least 50 miles away. This does not even include local spending. Over the course of the pandemic, at a conservative estimate, tourism revenues on the North Shore are expected to decline by at least 485 million dollars.”

Thankfully, cultural organizations are composed of inventive thinkers. When they say, “the show must go on,” you can bet