View From Afar S1, E23: IPW 2025 | Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston

I’m Billie Cohen, Afar’s editorial director, and welcome to View From Afar, a podcast that spotlights the people and ideas shaping the future of travel. And in this special series, I’m coming to you live from the floor of IPW, the annual travel conference organized by the U.S. Travel Association to share the best of America with the rest of the world.

In this episode, I’m catching up with Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston. You can’t have a conversation about America’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence without talking about Boston. This is the city of the Boston Tea Party, the Stamp Act Riots, and where Paul Revere began his ride—it’s arguably where the American spirit of rebellion and pride first ignited. Since then, Boston has honored that historical legacy and also surfaced many more stories of what America means today: stories about diverse neighborhoods and food, vibrant nightlife and cultural celebrations, and world-renowned art and sports.

It makes for a pretty incredible city to visit, thanks in large part to Martha. She joined the Boston team in 2019 and brings a lot of history herself: more than 25 years of destination marketing experience total, including a long tenure as CEO and President of nearby Providence, Rhode Island, as well as a stint as the past Chair of Destinations International, the association of destination marketing professionals. So today, we’re going to hear what the Birthplace of the Revolution has in store for visitors now, and its America 250 celebrations.

Transcript

Billie: Welcome, Martha! Thanks for being here.

Martha: I’m so happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

I’ve been wanting to ask people this, so give me like the 30-second, this is your challenge—30-second pitch on Boston, but not as head of Meet Boston as you’re trying to get—I’m your friend, you’re trying to get me to come, like, why would I choose Boston for my weekend getaway and what would we do?

Martha: You have to come to Boston. There’s so much to do. You can walk, you can leave your car at home. Our dining scene is on fire right now. There’s so many fantastic restaurants that you can choose from. We have 23 incredible neighborhoods. So whatever you’re feeling like on a given day, if you want to just walk around and look at beautiful architecture. You can do that. If you want to experience history, you can do that. Jump on a boat, we’ve got that. You can rent a blue bike and ride around the city.

We’ve got some incredible green space right now. That’s really, I think something about Boston that people don’t really know and sometimes don’t appreciate is that we have parks after parks after parks. We have the oldest public park in the U.S. in the Boston Common. Of course, everyone knows about that, but we’ve got places like the Greenway, which is just this long strand of beautiful, beautiful green space, but with art installations and activities and family fun.

We’ve got some really, really cool nightlife right now. Our live entertainment scene is on fire, we have some great live music venues. We’ve got MGM Music Hall, the Grand, all sorts of nightclubs of different sizes. We have a wonderful place called Grace by Nia, which is a Black-owned supper club with live entertainment most nights of the week. So it’s just a lot happening.

Billie: That sounds great. I’m there. You mentioned when you were just describing that people don’t know that there’s a lot of green space and parks in Boston. This is your opportunity: Are there any other misconceptions about Boston that you want clear up for visitors?

Martha: I think people are very familiar with Boston’s history and the fact that we are a sports town, and we love that we’re a city of champions for sure, but we go so much beyond that and I think people don’t realize how diverse Boston is. We have people from all different parts of the globe living in Boston in our 23 neighborhoods, and they’re reflected in our art, our cuisine, and some of our attractions.

So, you know, we really want people to understand that yes, Boston is great and historic and it’s also a progressive city that’s constantly moving forward.

Billie: I actually had watched a video of you at the Discover New England Summit recently. And you, I’m going to quote you, you said, “International visitors are always welcome in Boston,” which tracks exactly with what you’re saying. And then you went on to say, “We will do everything we can so that you and your guests feel at home in the great city of Boston.”

Are you finding any tourism challenges now with sharing that welcoming message? Has anything changed that’s made things harder for you and how are you addressing that?

Martha: Well, you know, I do think Boston is quintessentially America for sure and that reflects itself in our, our actually 400 years—nearly 400 years—of history in Boston. But I also think Boston has developed a reputation as a very open and welcoming city. And I credit our leadership, we have an openly gay female governor. We have a female lieutenant governor, we have a female mayor, Asian. And they’re not quiet. They’re not shy, and they make it very clear that they’re going to run our state and our city on their terms and their terms are that we are welcome for all. And I think that’s a message that we’re trying to really amplify as we sell Boston across the globe, that while we’re quintessentially American, you know, we’re not necessarily reflective of what the perception could be of America right now in other places.

Billie: So as the country prepares to celebrate America 250, what are some of the ways that Boston is telling its own story?

Martha: Well, first of all, we’ve been telling the story for two years now because we kind of launched this whole thing called the American Revolution. We had the Boston Tea Party. They celebrated their 250th in December of 2023. We just celebrated the Paul Revere Ride and the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Bunker Hill. So our 250th has already been ramped up and we’ve been going at it now for a year and a half, and we know we have another year to go and we’re telling a lot of different stories.

I think that’s the beauty of it, whether it’s Mass 250 or our own Boston 250th committee. We want to make sure every voice is heard and that every story is heard. And we are going to culminate all of this on July 4th, 2026, and have the most spectacular Fourth of July celebration known to Boston ever, as well as hosting the World Cup and tall ships. So we have a lot going on and a lot to look forward to.

Billie: Great. That’s going to be great. And so what about other new events or new openings or new experiences that you’re excited about for 2025 and beyond?

Martha: You know, Boston’s become a city of options and several years ago the Seaport district started to become developed. It happened in the early 2000s with the opening of the convention center down there. And that area of the city has continued to evolve. And is always welcoming new hotels, new retail options, new activities. There’s so many fun activities down there for people of all ages.

So it’s sort of a juxtaposition to the historic side of Boston. You’ve got this sort of shiny new penny in the seaport. The contemporary art museum is there. There’s just so much happening in that area that’s new and fresh and different. And constantly evolving. So we like to say if you haven’t been to Boston in the last five years, you haven’t been to Boston, so you absolutely need to come back.

Billie: Yeah, cities do change pretty quickly, so that’s good advice.

Martha: It does change, and even areas like, you know, we like to think we have the most iconic baseball field in America. It’s called Fenway Park, which we all know about. And as historic and old as that park is, still very well maintained, that the area around Fenway Park is unrecognizable to people who haven’t been there in a long time. So many cool and fun things bursting open there. There’s great restaurants, great nightclubs, and that seems to be happening in a lot of different areas of the city where you’ve got the traditional, but it’s being surrounded by some really new, fun, and modern stuff as well.

Billie: I love that combination. And so on the same tack, what are some up-and-coming neighborhoods that you want people to explore beyond the big attractions?

Martha: Absolutely. One area, two neighborhoods, we kind of combine, that’s called the Allston–Brighton area. And they have some really cool stuff happening over there. New Balance, which is our own homegrown sneaker brand in Boston—much love—they built a track there and a huge development around it with great restaurants, great shops, great activities. There’s an area called the Speedway, which is just this outdoor entertainment area that’s really fun and funky with a brewery and a saki tasting bar. There’s great outdoor art in that area, in the ALS and Brighton area, so it’s an area that, you know, people may not have thought to travel to as a visitor, but they’ve got to do it now.

Same thing with, you know, with a neighborhood like Dorchester, which is, you know, a traditional neighborhood in Boston that has so much going on. Great restaurants. And right now we have what’s called the Boston Art Triennial. So we have art installations all outdoors, in 20 plus neighborhoods all over Boston, East Boston, Dorchester as I mentioned, Roxbury. So it’s a way to, it’s sort of a breadcrumb approach, a way to experience the city through public art. Look at the art, experience the art, but then explore what’s around that art. And they’ve done a really good job of incorporating neighborhoods into the installations.

Billie: Oh, that’s cool. How long does that last and how would—

Martha: It started in May, and it’s going through October, so there’s plenty of time to visit us and come and see it.

Billie: You talked a bit before about the people of Boston and how do you serve like two constituencies, right? You have to attract visitors, but then also make sure you’re serving the communities that are creating these great spaces that the visitors are coming to see. How do you manage that balance?

Martha: Yeah, I always, always impress upon people that tourism supports job creation, job development, business attraction, and resident satisfaction. And none of those things can exist without the other, so restaurants can’t survive with just resident business and vice versa.

They can’t survive with just visitors. So they, we have to coexist with our communities in order for us to provide these assets that our residents enjoy, and in order for visitors to have these great experiences as well. None of it’s mutually exclusive. And I think we have a really nice balance in Boston.

Yes, the city has a lot of visitors, millions and millions, and it can get very busy and perhaps that’s frustrating for a resident. You know, particularly on game day, you know the Fenway Park area can be pretty tough, or on a Celtics Day, but it’s fairly manageable.

I think it also, the fact that we bring in people from all over the world gives the residents sort of a different perspective and appreciation for their city when they see others enjoying it. I think it’s one huge ecosystem that has to exist together, and it’s important that we continue to preach that.

Right now we have a 20,000-person convention in our city. It’s an incredibly important convention called Bio, and it’s scientists from across the world there. Forty-five percent of the delegates are from outside of America. So think about the fact that, you know, we are here sort of figuring out how to manage the geopolitical issues that are impacting inbound travel, but yet at the same time, scientists are in Boston from across the globe, still doing what they do. So we’re proud of that.

But we, you know, I think residents appreciate the fact that we’re popular. People want to be there and kind of understand when it gets a little bit hectic.

Billie: Yeah. I understand. I get that too. In New York, you just avoid certain neighborhoods that day. It’s interesting what you touched on, how thinking about, dealing with the landscape of the world today and about travel, having some uncertainty.

I think I’ve been thinking about it in our conversation more about from the perspective of leisure travelers, but you bring up a great point that the business and the convention—are you still seeing the amount of international interest?

Martha: They are still coming. We have heard of some delegations having some visa challenges. I’m not going to lie. I know that’s always existed by the way. It’s being amplified a lot more. But you know, again, if there’s a purpose, I think people are going to travel. And even with the leisure visitor, I am asked this question frequently now: You know, what is the impact going to be on Boston? And we check in with our rep firms from across the globe and pretty much all of them say, you know, there is that initial reaction of I’m not going to the U.S. and, and we haven’t seen how that’s going to play out yet, but I think sometimes they’re talking the talk, not walking the walk.

So people may say, I am not going to the U.S., but then after a certain time period, they’re like, well, I really want to go. So I’m going to book that trip. Time will tell. And again, our political landscape is ever-evolving, so you never know what’s gonna happen from one day to the next. But you know, we’re going to remain optimistic.

We’re not going to take our foot off the gas pedal. And we’re gonna welcome anyone and everyone that wants to come to Boston for a meeting, a conference, an experience, whatever it might be.

Billie: Right. It’s Boston.

Martha: Mm-hmm. And we hope.

Billie: Last question: What is your go-to, did-you-know surprising fact about Boston?

Martha: Oh, I would say that Boston has 23 and a half incredible neighborhoods that are all unique and very different, but also somehow connected. So I was commenting on this the other day. I was doing my own podcast and I was interviewing someone from the downtown Boston Improvement District and we were just talking about this chain of neighborhoods in Boston, from the South End to Chinatown to Downtown to North End and East Boston. And every one of them is completely different and just sort of represents a different culture and a different feeling and a different spirit. And as we were talking about it, both of us who are, you know, residents of Boston, we’re like, that’s amazing. You know, North End is here, Italian neighborhood. Chinatown is obviously the fourth-largest in the U.S.—great Chinese community, great restaurants. Then we have got some great open air space, and the Downtown is the central financial district with fun and funky stuff happening. But they’re all within 10 minutes’ walk of each other.

Billie: Wow. Martha: And to me, it’s astounding that you can have all of that in one city within such a short distance.

Billie: You said 23 and a half. What’s a half neighborhood?

Martha: There’s a small neighborhood as part of Dorchester, I don’t even know the name of it, but they like to be called a half a neighborhood.

Billie: [Laughs] Oh, that’s great. I want to check that out. You have a podcast? Tell us about that.

Martha: I do. It’s entering its third season. It’s called “Boston Found.” Yes, there’s a play on words there, and we interview folks that are pretty much in the tourism sector, from all different segments of the industry. And it airs every other week, found where you can find any podcast.

Billie: That’s great. We’ll link to it. Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of Meet Boston. It’s been really great to have you and to chat about what’s coming up for your city.

Martha: Pleasure to be here.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of View From Afar. In the show notes, you’ll find links to everything we discussed today, as well as Meet Boston’s website and social media handles and Afar’s recent Boston coverage. And be sure to follow along this week to hear more interviews with industry experts.

You can find more Views From Afar on afar.com. And be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok. We’re @AfarMedia. If you enjoyed today’s exploration, I hope you’ll come back for more great interviews. Subscribing always makes that easy. And be sure to rate and review the show on your favorite podcast platforms. It helps other travelers find it.

This has been View From Afar, a production of Afar Media. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to their other fine shows like Culture Kids and The Explorers Podcast.