- July 24, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
After more than a year of social distancing, capacity limits and mask mandates as Connecticut fought COVID-19, Mystic’s small business owners were ready for a summer that got back to normal. Instead, they face yet another abnormal summer – but not in a bad way.
Owners of restaurants and shops in the coastal village report far more visitors than in a normal tourist season, which they perceive to be a result of pent-up desire for travel and activities after a year inside.
In January, just two percent of Connecticut residents had received a dose of the vaccine. By April, nearly half had the shot – and many didn’t wait long before they returned to tourist destinations like Mystic.
“We were hitting summer levels in March,” said Matt Beaudoin of Mystic Knotwork. “Now, foot traffic is the highest it’s ever been, easily more than double what we’d expect in a normal summer, and our revenue has doubled….
