New Hampshire's North Country foliage may be past peak in many spots, and inflation may be high. But Rene Bajger says that isn’t slowing down tourists this season.
“I think some people are putting off plane rides,” said Bajger, who owns
Beggars Pouch Leather in North Conway. “They're not going to Europe as much, and we’re, as they say, a tank full of gas from Boston. So you can come here and be away from your life in a whole different atmosphere.”
Bajger’s shop sells leather jackets, handbags, belts, and other leather goods. She said she’s seen tourists turn out in droves this fall, and the recent Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day holiday weekend crowds didn’t disappoint.
She’s not alone: 94% of businesses surveyed by the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce reported the weekend met or exceeded their expectations. Tourism brings in a significant amount of revenue to the state, so the weekend’s success is welcome news.
Many of the tourists at Bajger’s store came from southern states like Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia, but they also get international customers, she said. Just this week alone, she’s had customers from Scotland, Canada, India, Italy and France.
“Sometimes in here, it sounds like the United Nations — there are so many different languages being spoken,” Bajger said.
The Beggars Pouch is aided by prime location for tourists: They’re right next to the Conway Scenic Railroad station. Some of these travelers are on package bus tours driving from Portland, New York City, or Boston, and they can visit iconic New England places without paying to fill the tank up themselves.
Bajger also saw a new demographic come through the shop.
“A lot of first time people [who’ve] never been in,” Bajger said. “A younger crowd [with] a little more disposable income, shall I say.”
Customers are already shopping at the leather goods store for Christmas gifts, she said, and crowds usually surge again the weekend after Thanksgiving. Bajger expects tourists to come in steadily through the end of March as snow melts.
When Bajger walks in her store, she doesn’t see tourists spending less despite a tough economy. The local residents may have a different experience, though. One of her employees, for instance, commutes an hour to the store because they can’t afford to live in the area.
“A lot of people can't afford homes right in the North Conway area,” Bajger said. “They live on the outskirts.”
