Faced with the elimination of his office, the executive director of the Eastern Regional Tourism District started to grapple Thursday with the ramifications of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget proposal.

"We didn't know this was coming," Ed Dombroskas said. "No one knew. We had hoped this wouldn't happen. Every bit of evidence shows that tourism spending is such an important part of the state economy, particularly in eastern Connecticut."

The governor's two-year spending plan, delivered Wednesday, would trim funding for statewide tourism promotion and eliminate it altogether for the state's three regional tourism districts and for a long list of attractions and programs, including, in southeastern Connecticut, Mystic Aquarium and OpSail.

Funding for the schooner Amistad, currently moored at Mystic Seaport, would be maintained at the current level - nearly $360,000 - in the next two fiscal years.

"I was hoping we'd get back to $15 million for the state (for tourism promotion), not cut to $10 million," said Tony Sheridan, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. "Cutting the districts surprised me, too."

The state has allocated $12 million to market the state in each of the most recent fiscal years.

"I want to suggest that this is the beginning of a conversation," Sheridan said. "The governor has given his proposal and now we'll have to see how it works out."

He said he agreed with the governor's focus on funding much-needed improvements in the state's transportation infrastructure.

"He's trying to catch up on transportation, which is absolutely essential," Sheridan said. "Widening (Interstate) 95 from Branford to Rhode Island is long overdue. On any Sunday afternoon, it's a mess. We're really running the risk of not being a destination if people can't get here from New York. What good is spending on tourism if people get stuck on an antiquated highway?

"Am I happy about it (cuts in tourism funding)? No, I thought that was all behind us. But on the whole, the budget is balanced."

Stephen Coan, Mystic Aquarium's president and CEO, was unavailable to discuss the proposed elimination of the nearly $600,000 the nonprofit has received in each of the state's most recent fiscal years.

"Mystic Aquarium is cognizant of the state's budget challenges and we understand the need for the governor to make difficult decisions," Coan said in a statement. "Nevertheless, we are hopeful that funding will be restored to Mystic Aquarium in recognition that it is a key provider of STEM education and the largest tourist attraction in Connecticut. While these are difficult economic times, state funding for Mystic Aquarium is an investment as it generates over $70 million annually in direct economic impact to the state."

Wendy Bury, executive director of the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition, held out hope for arts organizations whose funding was cut.

"While initially taken aback, we are currently digesting, reviewing and analyzing the governor's proposed budget," she said in a statement. "Clearly, there are changes coming in the way the state supports and invests in the arts, cultural and tourism industry. The Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition is committed to collectively ensuring that our region's and state's arts, cultural, and heritage sector are included and supported in the budget."

Dombroskas said that unless funding for the tourism districts is restored, his office would have to close at the end of the current fiscal year, June 30. Four employees, including himself, would be out of work.

"It really does change our planning," he said. "We'll continue to place advertisements and distribute materials up until July 1, but all our contracts will have contingency clauses indicating they might have to be terminated if no funding becomes available."

He noted that the districts have survived previous proposed funding cuts that were reversed before they took effect.

"We'll be working hard to convince the legislature that we deserve funding," Dombroskas said.

He said the state is finishing up an economic impact study that will document the effect of tourism spending. Preliminary numbers show the Malloy administration's commitment in recent years to tourism funding and a "Still Revolutionary" marketing campaign have paid dividends.

"It's been pretty clear, certainly in eastern Connecticut," Dombroskas said. "Even with the challenges at the casinos, we've been on a tourism growth trend."

He was philosophical about the prospect of his district's funding being restored.

"We kind of look at this as a nine-inning ballgame," he said. "This is the bottom of the first - and we're behind."

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

Twitter: @bjhallenbeck