Mayor Pushes for Hockey Tourism with U.S. Ambassador to Canada

As part of a continuing bid to increase tourism to the city, Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant and vice chairman of the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) met with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson.

“Canadian tourists and visitors have a significant impact on the Marlborough economy over the Thanksgiving weekend due to the hockey championships as well as the attraction of the Black Friday sales at the Solomon Pond Mall," said the mayor in a press release.

The meeting was part of the mayor's trip to Ottawa to recruit hockey teams to Marlborough during the upcoming North American Fall Championships at the New England Sports Center, which is one of the largest facilities of its kind in North America. This popular event attracts Canadian hockey players to Marlborough over the Thanksgiving weekend.

"This influx of tourism greatly benefits our many hospitality facilities and local restaurants. It is important to continue attracting tourists to our city to support our small businesses and local economy,” said the mayor.

The visit was part of MEDC's 2012 initiative to increase sports tourism in Marlborough. They coordinated the trip with the help of a grant from the MetroWest Tourism & Visitors Bureau and Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. They also created a promotional video encouraging Canadian hockey players to participate in the Championships.

Vigeant and Tomanek also met with hockey officials at the Bell Sensplex recreation facility in Ottawa.