Nobody needs to tell Cassie Busdeker about the effect COVID-19 has had on just about everybody.

 

As the Executive Director of the Greater Bridgeport Convention and Visitors Bureau, Busdeker has been dealing with the pandemic on a daily basis since last March, specifically with how it relates to the City’s hotels, restaurants and businesses of all shapes and sizes.

 

However, during her annual report at the most recent City Council meeting, the overall message was one of hope rather than despair.

 

“We started 2020 with a lot of big plans that kind of got derailed in March,” Busdeker said. “So we re-focused. We changed things and went in a different direction. As we all know, it’s been a rough year. It’s going to get better. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

 

The daily COVID statistics are trending in a better direction on a daily basis and that’s a big cause for optimism. Bridgeport though also has the completion of The Bridge Indoor Sports and Recreation Complex in its sights (The Bridge is still on pace to open late spring, early summer) which is expected to provide a boon to the area in terms of visitors who will be shopping, dining and looking for a hotel room.

 

Local hotelers met with Busdeker and staff for The Bridge earlier this week and the optimism only grew.

 

“I think they are very optimistic with The Bridge coming,” Busdeker said. “Right now, their business is stronger during week whether it be with oil and gas workers, procedures at the hospital, construction workers coming in. They are typically here Sunday through Thursday. The hotel’s down time is the weekends and The Bridge will pick up their weekends.”

 

In the report for Council, Busdeker showed RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) year-to-date data being down 39.3 percent. That is an issue anywhere where they have been pandemic-related restrictions but there is also encouraging news on that front.

 

“A lot of national and local organizations have been studying and doing (travel) surveys,” she said. “According to Longwoods International Tracking, 81 percent of people are planning on traveling. These numbers are good considering two months ago it was 40 percent.”

 

In the early stages of the pandemic, the CVB played a pivotal role in getting information out to people and got creative in lending a helping hand.

 

“One of the first things we did to support the local businesses, the hotels, all the restaurants was providing information to the community about what their hours were, what services they had, who had pick-up, what their hours were.

 

“Then we started to have a little fun by getting the kids involved. We had community members come to us with some out-of-the box ideas.”

 

She highlighted such activities as the city-wide stuffed bear hunt, the Where’s Waldo book search as well as the Senior Faces feature for the BHS Class of 2020, the Holy Ball, Project Lift and Healthy Bridgeport.

 

“We had to be willing to adjust and come up with creative ways to help the community and help the local businesses,” Busdeker said. “We’re very proud of how the community and all the local businesses came together and helped one another. We were happy to be involved with that.

 

“At the same time, it’s good to be excited again about the future. Things are going to get better.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Busdeker at the most recent Council meeting. Bottom photo features local hotelers on a tour of The Bridge.