Tourism Council Update – May 2025
Tourism Council Update: Join Us for Our May 13 Tourism Mixer!
One of the highlights of the year for the business and organizations that focus on visitors to Greater Cape Ann is the annual Spring Tourism Mixer, and in 2025 this will take place on May 13 at the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum. This year’s Mixer is special for a number of reasons, and the event was a key point of discussion at the April 18 meeting of the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Tourism Council.
The decision to hold the Mixer in Manchester-by-the-Sea is one unique aspect. This is the first time in more than a dozen years that the Mixer will be in this Greater Cape Ann community – a sign of Manchester-by-the-Sea’s growing presence as a tourist destination. The Museum offers an intriguing look at the town’s rich history, as well as a stepping off point for anyone visiting the shops, restaurants, parks, beaches and other attractions in Manchester-by-the-Sea.
While Mixer attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the Museum, there’s much more in store at the May 13 event. The Spring Mixer traditionally attracts dozens of members of the tourism community from across Greater Cape Ann – and every attendee will have an opportunity to share updates and network with their peers. This year, the emphasis at the Mixer is on connections, and there’ll be ample time to chat with others about plans for the summer and beyond. In addition, every attendee has been asked to provide a slide for a tourism community presentation that will run throughout the Mixer.
Based on discussions in the Tourism Council’s monthly meetings, this year’s updates will be particularly impactful – including plans for Motif # 1 Day (May 17), Cape Ann Pride Weekend (May 30-June 1), Essex River Days (June 14), and perhaps most exciting, the Bunker Hill Reenactment at Stage Fort Park (June 21-22). The Bunker Hill weekend is expected to attract hundreds of enactors and thousands of attendees for this celebration of a defining moment for our nation.
All this is just some of what’s on the schedule for early summer 2025! Check the events calendars on the Chamber website and its Cape Ann Vacations and Rockport USA visitor sites for details on these and other happenings in the months ahead across Greater Cape Ann.
And be sure to attend the Mixer for real-time updates! All businesses are welcome to attend the Tourism Mixer – visit bit.ly/SpringTourismMixer to register, and if you’d like to contribute a slide, email me at tsapienza@gmail.com.
As is always the case at our monthly meetings, there were many other topics discussed when we gathered on April 18, including introductions from new Council attendees like Revive and Viva Gelato, updates from regular attendees like Cape Ann Museum and the Crane Estate, and reports on issues of interest to the tourism community like the Gloucester short-term rental ordinance and downtown development.
We’ll continue to discuss new happenings and issues like these – and report on the May 13 Mixer – at our next meeting, on May 16. Anyone who is involved in or has an interest in Cape Ann’s visitor-based economy is invited to join us for this and upcoming monthly meetings. We gather on the third Friday of each month at the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce offices — and via Zoom. If you’d like to be part of these discussions, please reach out to me or contact the Chamber staff.
We hope to see you at the Spring Tourism Mixer on May 13!
Tony Sapienza
Co-owner, Blue Shutters Beachside Inn
Chair, Tourism Council
tsapienza@gmail.com
Learn more about the Greater Cape Ann Chamber’s Tourism Council
