Concord, N.H. – (May 31, 2022) – The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) is reporting favorable numbers coming out of the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. This weekend traditionally marks the kick-off to the summer tourism season. Summer is the state’s busiest travel season.
Inns and lodging properties are reporting positive numbers this past weekend with advance reservations looking strong for the upcoming season. Many businesses are showing an increase in extended stays with multi-generational families traveling together.
This weekend marked the opening for many of New Hampshire’s State Park properties. Over the course of the weekend, State Parks had more than 29,000-day use visitors; the 21 parks that offer camping were 98% full. Mount Washington State Park reported Sunday as its busiest day, with visitors enjoying beautiful weather and 100-mile views. Staff at Jericho State Park in Berlin indicated this weekend was a “phenomenal” start to the summer season.
Entertainment venues, including local theaters and museums are open again with full schedules planned for the summer season. The Music Hall in Portsmouth was sold out for their Sunday night show, the first in their Live Under the Arch outdoor summer series.
Road trips are expected to continue to be a popular trend this summer season. The state is once again marketing to destinations within a 600-mile radius. Visitnh.gov provides
road trip inspiration with itineraries for every region of the state.
For those planning to visit during the summer season, online and advanced reservations for activities and attractions are encouraged. Visitors and residents are also being asked to be familiar with the
Granite State Promise and
Leave No Trace Campaigns. The campaigns promote planning ahead, being patient, responsible and respectful to help ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.
Some quotes from tourism industry members on the holiday weekend:
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE/WELCOME CENTERS
Luca Paris, President & CEO, Greater Keene and Peterborough Chamber of Commerce
“The energy in the Monadnock Region was electric, many towns held parades, the weather was incredible Sunday and Monday so the streets were full as well as the trails! We know that a lot of restaurants that have normally been closed during these times are rethinking opening because we have so many new people visiting the area, especially on this weekend.”
Charyl Reardon, President of the White Mountain Attractions
“In general, the weekend in the White Mountains was good. As always the weather forecast played a role, and admissions were “light” on Saturday at many of the attractions. We are fortunate that we have a strong drive market and gas prices are similar across New England. It is a bit worrisome if gas prices continue to rise, the effect it could have on visitors choosing to daytrip versus spending a couple of nights in the area. This is something we have seen in the past with gas price spikes.”
LODGING/RESTAURANTS
Thomas Prindle, Purity Spring Resort/Danforth Bay Campground
“At this point, summer reservations are looking very strong. For both Purity Spring Resort and Danforth Bay Campground, we are not seeing any sense of discouragement by travelers based on the cost of gas. It’s probably more favorable for our typical markets because it’s more local and an easy drive from southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The warmer temps last week and this past weekend are making people think about enjoying the lake and planning a summer vacation.”
Carol Sullivan, White Mountain Hotel & Resort
“Demand going into the long holiday weekend was very high as it is truly the “kick off” to the busy summer season. We had a very strong weekend and were sold out Saturday and Sunday nights and were at 80 capacity Friday night. All predictions for the summer season are that we will be busier than last year, which was a very busy season. We have seen a slight shift in reservations booking further out, indicating a longer lead time and advance planning on the rise. Length of stay has also increased since the pandemic. We are gearing up for a very busy summer and fall.”
ATTRACTIONS/ENTERTAINMENT VENUES
Rob Arey, Marketing Director, Mount Washington Cog Railway
“We had a nice kick-off to summer. Unfortunately, the weather on Saturday did dampen our visitor count. The 3-day weekend in total was down less than 10% with the gift shop helping close some of the gap. We are optimistic about the summer season, we are still seeing per capita spending to be near the same levels as last year. Reservations are tracking close to normal, fall reservations are doing very well.”
ABOUT THE NH DIVISION OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
The Division of Travel and Tourism Development, as part of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, works with the state’s seven travel regions to increase visitation, travel and visitor expenditures in order to expand business activity and employment throughout the state. The division is responsible for domestic and international advertising and public relations, literature publication and distribution, www.visitnh.gov administration, grant administration and research to monitor and measure the impact of travel and tourism to the state.
For more information about New Hampshire tourism, call 603-271-2665 or visit www.visitnh.gov.
Stay connected with New Hampshire tourism on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube, and be sure to follow the #LiveFreeNH tag to see what other people are saying about New Hampshire.
Media Contact:
Kris Neilsen
Communications Manager, Division of Travel and Tourism Development
Kris.M.Neilsen@livefree.nh.gov