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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

New Hampshire Could See Record Number Of Memorial Day Weekend Tourists

File Photo, NHPR

New Hampshire is expecting a record number of visitors over Memorial Day weekend.

The state's official forecast projects more than 600,000 tourists and about $95 million dollars in spending over the holiday weekend.

Both figures are five percent higher than last year's totals. Victoria Cimino, director of the Division of Travel and Tourism Development, says the state should see that same kind of growth throughout the summer.

The reasons, she says, are straightforward: "There's always the very powerful trifecta of a strong economy, lower gas prices and sunshine."

Cimino says the state has also boosted its marketing efforts this year; it's running promotional ads in four of the areas from which New Hampshire's tourists come: Boston, New York, Montreal and Toronto.

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