Gov. Malloy Visits Niantic To Talk Tourism

Governor Dannel Malloy was in Niantic yesterday as part of a larger tour of small businesses that is taking him to towns all over the state.

The Governor, joined by First Selectman Paul Formica and Department of Economic and Community Development Deputy Commissioner Kip Bergstrom, toured downtown Niantic, stopping in at Gumdrops and Lollipops for ice cream.

In speaking with local business owners, his aim was to draw attention to the role tourism plays in the state’s economic development strategy. Niantic was recently named the “Fan-Favorite Still Revolutionary Town of the Year” in a contest held by the Connecticut Office of Tourism.  

In Connecticut, travel and tourism activities generate $11.5 billion annually in economic activity and are responsible for 110,000 jobs, the Governor's office reports. The sector saw a 3.9 percent employment growth in 2012 and not only has been adding jobs beyond its prerecession level, but has recovered 200 percent of the jobs lost.

Malloy has been emphasizing different aspects of the state's economy at each stop on his tour. In South Windsor on Monday, he stressed the importance of the state's Small Business Express Program in creating and retaining a large number of jobs throughout Connecticut since its inception.

A spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development said the Small Business Express Program has helped Connecticut businesses retain 8,210 jobs and create an additional 2,873. The state has spent approximately $108 million on the initiative thus far.  

"I'm doing everything I can to get the economy moving again," Malloy said during his visit to small businesses in South Windsor. "…Connecticut didn't grow jobs for 22 years. I'm trying to reverse that trend, and so far I have."