New Hampshire tourism officials are expecting a record-breaking Labor Day weekend with more than 640,000 visitors and more than $91 million in visitor spending. The NH Division of Travel and Tourism Development is anticipating a 3.5-percent increase in visitors and a four-percent increase in spending for the holiday weekend compared to Labor Day weekend 2016.
“New Hampshire has had a tremendous summer season and our projections indicate momentum will continue right through Labor Day weekend,” says Victoria Cimino, director of the NH Division of Travel and Tourism Development. “Labor Day, typically the second-busiest travel weekend in New Hampshire, drives significant tourism expenditures throughout the state.”
The division's research partners based NH’s domestic travel projections on a number of indicators, including consumer spending, consumer confidence, employment growth, wage growth and travel spending.
“The Lakes Region had an incredibly strong summer season, featuring a growing trend of visitors starting their weekend trips a day early on Thursdays," says Amy Landers, executive director of the Lakes Region Tourism Association. "Both outdoor and indoor attractions throughout the region reported excellent growth compared to previous summers. The Lakes Region business community is particularly optimistic about Labor Day, given the number of events taking place throughout the area.”
"Our summer has been a good one, with a significant increase in both international and distant domestic travelers,” says Susan Logan, manager of marketing and events at Conway Scenic Railroad. "Labor Day weekend coincides with our 43rd Railfans' Weekend and our advance reservations are strong. On Sunday, we're running our Notch Train all the way to the village of Whitefield, the first time that a passenger train has been there in over 30 years, and that train—with nine passenger cars—is all but sold out. It's going to be a good weekend."
Current Issue - May 2024