Visit Portland, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that promotes tourism in the greater Portland area, is set to launch a $74,500 marketing campaign targeted towards “LGBTQ+” and “BIPOC” — Black, Indigenous, and people of color — markets, following approval of the plan by the Portland City Council on Monday.
During their Monday meeting, the Portland City Council voted 5-2 to approve the agreement for fiscal year 2024-2025, under which the city will remit to Visit Portland nearly $1.5 million in assessment fees collected from 23 hotels in a downtown Portland area designated as the “Portland Tourism Development District.”
As per the city’s agreement with the nonprofit, an estimated $745,000 out of the remitted assessment fees are to be spent on marketing and promotional efforts for events and conferences in the Tourism Development District.
It is required by the agreement that ten percent of that marketing budget — an estimated $74,500 — “shall be allotted specifically to reach the BIPOC, LGBTQ+ markets, and community DEI efforts.”
Projects undertaken by Visit Portland to reach the “BIPOC” and “LGBTQ+” markets include marketing campaigns with advertisements across multiple platforms, providing financial incentives to groups hosting large-scale events and conventions at the hotels, and sponsorships to promote Portland as a “destination of choice” for those markets.
Speaking on the order to approve the agreement prior to its passage, City Councilor Kate Sykes — former co-chair of the Maine Democratic Socialists of America (Maine DSA) — said the fund will market Portland to “a more diverse population.”
“This sets up a new district where hotels will pay into a fund to allow Visit Portland to create a tourism program to do lots of different things, among which is marketing Portland to a more diverse population, LBTQ and BIPOC populations specifically,” Sykes said Monday.
“And just to basically create sort of a broader message about what Portland is about and why Portland is a great place to visit,” Sykes said.
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“I support this program, I think it’s really great, it’s good for our city, and I think Councilor [Regina] Phillips was talking about how can we make a concerted effort to honor the people — marginal people — that live in the city and visit our city year-round, and this is how we do it,” she added. “So, I think we’re putting our money where our mouth is here.”
The agreement between the city and Visit Portland was approved by a 5-2 vote, with Councilors Anna Trevorrow and Roberto Rodriguez voting against its passage.
This is nothing but an extortion fee program to promote a twisted agenda. City government has become a modern day mafia.
Liberals ruin everything
That s $1 for every “new mainer” the lefties want to come to Maine
Multiply by 4000/ month, and 12 months
That 1% income tax hike, and %12 property tax hike this year is just a SMALL taste of what s coming
Plus, they ll cancel votes of 75000 taxpayers
P-Town…
Another addition to the already long list of reasons why my Family will stay out of PWM. My suggestion to those who must go there for business reasons: Don’t drop the soap.
Welcome to Portland Maine, the east coast San Francisco where family values don’t matter and insanity reigns supreme!
My wife and I are summer residents of Maine and would go to Portland for a meal a show etc. Not again until this foolishness disappears.
Apparently if you are white do not go to Portland, Me. Not sure if you will be welcome.
Now there are two “P” Towns in New England.
I thought Portland was broke and had to increase homeowners tax burden?