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Tourism is New Hampshire’s second-largest industry–if you combine the state’s smart manufacturing and high technology sectors (SMHT). It’s also a clear point of intersection between government and industry, with the state maintaining a number of parks, campgrounds, and historical sites, and nearby businesses in turn catering to visitors’ needs. Given this close relationship, the state provides funding to market New Hampshire to potential tourists. Some of the heaviest marketing efforts are concentrated in Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. Canadian tourists, especially Quebeçois, also make up a sizable number of New Hampshire’s visitors. From the business perspective, “tourism” is a broad term. It encompasses hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail, and arts and entertainment, among other things. So while statewide reports may indicate overall restaurant or retail sales are up or down, the story might be very different in New Hampshire’s main tourism communities. For these places, weather, gas prices, currency exchange rates, and whether they draw visitors for outdoor activities, site-seeing, or shopping could all be factors.Summary provided by StateImpact NH

N.H. Tourism Officials Forecasting 300,000 Visitors Over Columbus Day Weekend

NHPR

New Hampshire Tourism officials are projecting some 300,000 visitors to the Granite State over the Columbus Day Weekend.

 

Overnight visitors are expected to spend more than $115 million this weekend.

 

"We're slammin,” says Tom Lapointe, innkeeper at the Adair Country Inn and Restaurant in Bethlehem. “So we're completely sold out for the weekend. And our dining room is, like, packed to the gills. We couldn't do anymore business."

 

State tourism officials say expected visitors and spending for this Columbus Day Weekend are up 5 percent year-over-year.

 

This is New Hampshire's second-busiest travel season, and it's forecasted that visitors will spend $1.4 billion in the Granite State this fall.

 

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