About the Boston Irish Tourism Association
In 2000, we decided the time was right to create a unique new tourism program celebrating local culture and heritage in Massachusetts.
We tapped into a unique community of cultural, social and genealogy groups, dance studios, academic programs, and annual events that emphases the Irish-American community of Massachusetts and the state cultural community at-large.
We combined this program with the state’s equally vibrant travel and hospitality industry -- hotels, travel agencies, gift shops, museums, concert venues, pubs and restaurants, and the result was the Boston Irish Tourism Association.
Today we have over 120 active members from all across the state, dedicated to offering visitors an enjoyable, enriching experience when they come to Massachusetts.
Our goal is to make it easy for visitors – and local residents – to easily get immersed in the state’s wonderful range of cultural activities, and to take advantage of the hospitality amenities available to travelers.
Some of the things we do at BITA:
- We work with the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor, the State House Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and regional tourism councils across the state to promote Massachusetts as a tourist destination year round.
- We provide information to the general public, tour operators, incoming convention groups and the media about upcoming events and activities of our members.
- We advise visitors on where to stay, where to dine or to shop, where to have a pint, see a concert, check out a traditional session, and how to get from Boston to the Berkshires, or from Canada to the Cape. If you have a question, send us an email, call or write us and we’ll try to answer it for you.
- We profile scores of musicians, dancers, artists, writers, storytellers, filmmakers, chefs, photographers and others who help fuel the creative economy in Massachusetts.
- We represent and provide information on other destinations such as Ireland, Quebec City, Prince Edward Island and New Hampshire, all of which share a common interest in culture and hospitality.
- We strengthen travel ties among the United States, Canada and Ireland by working closely with government agencies and travel specialists.
- We distribute three issues each year of our free Travel & Culture Guide magazine in March, June and November, to visitor centers, cultural venues, tour group operators and travel media and to the region's Irish-American community.
- We partner with Tourism Ireland to host an Irish Food & Culture celebration each March that brings select master chefs from Ireland to Boston, where they join with local chefs for a week of culinary events in hotels and restaurants.
- Our Irish Heritage Trail walking tour takes visitors and school groups along nearly 300 years of the Irish experience in Boston. We have compiled over 70 Irish landmarks throughout Massachusetts.
- Our booklet, Finding Your Irish Roots in Massachusetts, guides you through genealogy resources throughout the state.
- Please check out our four web sites:
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