Nearly 8 million people from around the world will come to New Hampshire over the next three months to see the bright colors of fall and leave behind some green, according to state tourism officials. They will be greeted by the first of several new welcome signs unveiled by Gov. John Lynch and state tourism officials recently. The new signs will feature the updated tourism logo, state motto and Welcome in both French and English.
Lori Harnois, director of the Division of Travel and Tourism, said the state could be headed for a record fall season. We are expecting about 7.9 million people to come here between now and the end of November and that would about 2 percent higher than last year, she said. More than spending time, these visitors will spend about $1 billion, which is up by about 3 percent over last year.
The Institute for New Hampshire Studies compiled the numbers, which are based on factors that include spending patterns, gas prices, weather and the previous year's activity, according to Harnois.
This is the second busiest time of year in New Hampshire after summer, she said. Brilliant foliage, scenic drives, farm stands, pick-your-own apples, corn mazes and pumpkins make for a wonderful harvest experience.
Fall has the largest number of visitors from outside of New England and the largest number of out-of-state visitors on group tours. Most of the visitors for the three fall months of September, October and November will be from New England, the Middle Atlantic States and Canada.
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