There’s a lot to do in Sullivan County, from live music at the Claremont Opera house to Revolutionary War reenactments at the Fort at No 4 in Charlestown. A local nonprofit hopes to use a new $418,000 grant to increase tourist spending on those and other activities in the area.
The county ranks last in New Hampshire when it comes to spending by visitors, at about $250 per trip, said Penelope Whitman, executive director of Discover Sugar River Region Foundation, which promotes tourism in the area.
“One of the things that I think about with this program, with this grant, is that it will help us tell our story better, but it'll also give us more story to tell,” she said. The nonprofit was one of three New Hampshire organizations to receive funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission last week.
Whitman said the three-year grant will be aimed at developing 12 to 15 “experiences” to increase visitor spending. That could be helping an angler create a fishing guide service or a local farmer develop activities to bring people to their farm. Whitman said the hope is that once visitors come to Sullivan County, they’ll stay for dinner or the night and spend more money at local businesses.
“To capture more visitor spend, there needs to be more experiences that people can find and book,” she said.
Discover Sugar River Region Foundation will also promote those experiences as it does now. It’s running a hiking challenge along 10 of the county's trails and itineraries grouped by interest, including outdoor adventures, historical sites, and art and music opportunities. The grant will focus on four communities: Claremont, Newport, Plainfield, and Charlestown.
“It's saying, ‘Come find these places. These are special places,’ ” Whitman said.
The Northern Border Regional Commission awarded grants to two other New Hampshire groups. The Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission will use its $40,000 award to identify a third well for the Epsom Village Water District. Collaborate Solid Waste Strategies received $100,000 for a new recycling facility in Sullivan County.
