Being a Chief is inside everyone's mind......

Tourism chief frightfully busy — and loving it
edited By Saudi Ali 22.10.2009

SALEM — Whether she's scouting locations for television producers or meeting with the MBTA to review the schedule for extra Halloween trains, Kate Fox is always working behind the scenes.

As director of Destination Salem, Fox deals with everyone — from international tour operators to local psychics and restaurateurs — to ensure the city's tourist offerings are well-marketed to the 800,000 annual visitors to Salem, 25 percent of whom descend on the "Witch City" in October.

"The job is all about producing information and helping people get here and understand what's here," said Fox.

October's hectic pace was illustrated by her weekend of activities, including an interview and a live podcast with radio stations in Connecticut and New York. On Saturday, she spent the day assisting TV crews from the "Today" show who were filming footage around Salem for a segment set air the day before Halloween.

"No two days are the same," said Fox, "and I like that."

Each year, Fox's office is charged with producing and distributing nearly 300,000 copies of the Salem Visitor and Travel Guide, as well as the Haunted Happenings guide. Destination Salem also operates the city's popular tourism Web sites: Salem.org and HauntedHappenings.org, which together drew over a half-million unique hits in the past year.

Fox, 39, started at Destination Salem in 1998 and later left for five years before returning in 2007. Destination Salem's annual budget is less than $300,000, funded through ad revenue from the tourism guides and a portion of the local option hotel/motel tax. Fox and project assistant Stacia Cooper run Destination Salem from City Hall.

Fox lives in Beverly with her husband, Matt, a local school principal, and their two sons, George, 8, and Nick, 5.

The Salem News caught up with Fox amid the swirl of October activity:

What do tourists expect of Salem?

I've had people call and they think Salem is like Sturbridge Village or Williamsburg — that you go through a gate and everyone is in costume and everything is right there. We try to show people that it's a city so they come here with that expectation.

Who else contacts you?

People from all over the world, for all different reasons. ... We get a lot of calls from brides and brides' moms. It runs the gamut.

Strangest question you've fielded?

My favorite question, in a twisted way, was a call I got in my first month (on the job) in 1998: "What time do they feed the witches?" Isn't that awful? It tells you how much information we need to share with people.

What are some of your duties?

A lot of distributing photos to media outlets. I just sent pictures to Australia and Argentina... I had a woman from Campeche, Mexico, here last week. She's the new director of tourism there. She's been on the job for three weeks and they sent her to Salem to see how we do it.

Is it all about Halloween?

There is always something going on, so we try to market year-round activities. We call it the Five Seasons of Salem: winter, spring, summer, fall and Haunted Happenings.

Challenges of your job?

It has its share of politics, and balancing the needs of different businesses and being objective and fair, especially when it's about travel writers. Everyone wants editorial exposure.

How many businesses does Destination Salem work with?

More than 150 ... and tourism spending in Salem last year was an estimated $54.6 million. October alone was $8.4 million.

Has Salem changed since you came aboard?

A lot. There are so many restaurants and so many more walking tours. There are two trolleys now instead of one, and the Salem Ferry. There more's shopping. It's a much deeper product now. There's a lot more to do.

Your favorite thing about Salem?

It's the city and all the characters and the people that make up the destination. It's just a great place to promote and to work.

Given your job, do you like to dress in costume?

It sort of doesn't feel appropriate to the job. I wear Halloween socks. That's the extent of my fashion enthusiasm.
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