Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh is making a renewed push to promote Boston as a U.S. gateway and hub for foreign businesses, meeting with the city’s 40-plus foreign consulates, revamping international marketing and coordinating with tourism agencies.
“The world is being connected through Boston,” Walsh said last week during a meeting with a Swiss delegation at City Hall. “In the past, people said the world is being connected through New York. We’re changing that.”
Elected during an era of strong economic growth, Walsh is looking to continue the momentum with a pronounced international push.
Setting the tone for his administration, Walsh met with most of the city’s 40-plus consulates in March, telling the consuls general he wants to foster better relations with their countries and share best practices.
Walsh is emphasizing the value of international marketing and promotion across city departments, according to Greater Boston Convention Visitors Bureau CEO Pat Moscaritolo, who was co-chairman of Walsh’s economic development transition team.
“It’s integrated, it’s strategic and the messaging has gone out throughout City Hall that’s this is the way he wants to do business,” Moscaritolo said. “This is one of his priorities. He understands international marketing and promotion is part of a comprehensive economic development program for Boston.”
In the past, local educational institutions have been good at making international ties, but “the city hasn’t necessarily been there,” said John F. Barros, Boston’s new economic development chief. “We want to be a partner.”
The potential for international business opportunities in Boston is greater than ever, and the Walsh administration is responding, said Jim Klocke, executive vice president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. “They’re doing a lot of good things to promote both international business growth in Boston and business growth of all kinds,” he said. “There are all kinds of international businesses that want to either come to the United States for the first time or expand in the United States, and having somebody of (Barros’) stature and skill focusing on it is a great strategy. … I think the effect of this, over time, is going to be very strong.”
Believing the city’s own tourism efforts also weren’t up to par, Walsh created a cabinet-level arts and culture commissioner position and a separate Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment. Working with Massport, the Boston Convention Exhibition Center and GBCVB, Director Ken Brissette has a mandate to help the city take a greater role in tourism — in particular to capitalize on new direct flights between Boston and international destinations such as China, Turkey and Dubai.
“It’s working with all of these organizations and having a unified front in tourism,” Brissette said. “Whether it’s an international trade show or domestic trade show, the city is now at the table with our partners.”
With Boston tabbed as a preferred port for an international tall ships regatta in 2017, Walsh sent invites to 26 embassies, encouraging them to bring their ships.
“The city government apparatus is now focused on going out and getting these events — acting as salesperson and trying to make the sale and close the deal — as opposed to waiting for one of these associations or event organizers (to say), ‘I think we’re coming,’ ” Moscaritolo said.
While Barros went to Israel and Dubai on trade missions with Gov. Deval Patrick, Walsh has stayed local in his international push. But, going forward, he may consider trips abroad, including to Ireland, a spokeswoman said.
Walsh signed a sister-city pact in May with Belfast to build economic and other ties. “The United States is not a Wall Street economy anymore,” he said. “It’s a global economy.”