CONNECTICUT COMMISSION ON CULTURE & TOURISM LAUNCHES ENHANCED CTvisit.com
Tourism Web site’s new features simplify travel planning by providing more detailed and accessible information on Connecticut’s offerings

HARTFORD, Conn. (October 12, 2007) – Think you know everything there is to do in Connecticut? Think again! Today, the Commission on Culture & Tourism (CCT) launched its enhanced CTvisit.com with new features, functions and photos that guide visitors through every step of the travel planning process and provide more details on Connecticut’s offerings than ever before.

The site centers around five popular experiences Connecticut offers residents and visitors – family fun, active adventure, arts and culture, history and rest and relaxation – and includes in-depth information on attractions, accommodations, activities and events.

“The new CTvisit.com demonstrates how the collaboration that the Commission on Culture & Tourism fosters between the arts, heritage and tourism communities can benefit the state,” said Governor M. Jodi Rell. “This consumer-driven site is now designed to attract potential visitors, engage them in each step of their travel planning and convert them to Connecticut enthusiasts who visit the state several times throughout the year.”

To make the site more user-friendly and informative, the features are all interlinked, allowing visitors to access additional information on each attraction or event, or link to similar or related activities that appeal to their interests. Using the enhanced mapping function, users can easily locate their destinations as well as search for nearby attractions of interest and accommodations within a specified distance.

“Research reveals that the majority of travelers now use the Internet to easily and quickly plan getaways and vacations, so it was important that we make changes to the site to reflect their needs,” said Karen Senich, acting executive director of the Commission on Culture & Tourism. “The new features better showcase to the more than two million annual site visitors the many experiences and places that make Connecticut so unique and exciting. Both residents and those outside the state who are planning a trip to Connecticut will find higher-quality, customized information more efficiently.”

The site’s new and enhanced features include:

CONNECTions – The new CONNECTions highlight seasonal activities within each of the five experiences. For example, the “Family Fun” fall CONNECTion features information on autumn fairs and festivals, orchard adventures, haunted happenings and seasonal sporting events. For each property mentioned, visitors may link to a summary, photos and map. Likewise, users may also link to detailed information on events included in each CONNECTion or to related Travel Stories and Getaways.

Travel Stories – Also a new feature to CTvisit.com, the Travel Stories are in-depth articles that focus on a particular attraction. Written by local writers, these stories provide a first-person perspective on the experiences the site offers and the feelings it invokes. Users may link to related Getaways, CONNECTions, attractions and events from this section.

Stories currently on the site include “Hometown Boy” by Diane Smith, host of the “Ray and Diane Show” on WTIC-AM; “In Search of Rochambeau” by Steve Grant, a Hartford Courant staff writer; and “Area Stages Heat Up for Fall” by Nancy Thompson, editor of Hartford magazine.

52 Getaways – In addition to 52 new and exciting getaways, the new Getaway Wizard allows site visitors to narrow their search for getaways by experience type, season and/or region. Each getaway links to similar or related getaways, CONNECTions or Travel Stories.

What To Do and Where To Stay – These sections, which previously featured only a brief description of each attraction or lodging facility, now include photos, information on amenities and an enhanced mapping function that allows users to locate the site and navigate in all directions to find additional points of interest in the area.

The launch of these enhancements coincides with peak fall foliage, Connecticut’s second-busiest tourism season and the Commission’s fall marketing campaign. The campaign includes a free standing insert in Connecticut and metro New York newspapers, online marketing and an online fall foliage sweepstakes.

The Commission has also expanded the Connecticut Ambassador program, which encourages state residents to visit Connecticut’s attractions and share their findings with family and friends, this fall. New Ambassador program promotions include a new “Show the World Your Connecticut” brochure and CPTV announcements featuring Governor Rell.

The enhanced Web site and fall marketing campaign are part of the Commission’s integrated marketing efforts to increase the state’s $9 billion tourism industry, which generates $1.15 billion in state and local revenue and results in 110,000 jobs.

Additional enhancements and upgrades to CTvisit.com will be launched in spring 2008. These enhancements include a new capacity for 40,000 photos, as well as five new tourism region sections.

About the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism brings together tourism, film, history and the arts. Its mission is to preserve and promote Connecticut’s cultural and tourism assets in order to enhance the quality of life and economic vitality of the state. The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism is located at One Financial Plaza, 755 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut. For more information, log on to www.cultureandtourism.org.

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