Whether you’re looking for a family getaway or a great office holiday outing, NH’s tourism industry remains hot when the thermometer cools.
Skiing
Skiing at Cannon Mountain. (Photo by Greg Keeler)
With more than 20 alpine ski areas and 17 cross-country areas, there’s plenty of options for beginner skiers to experts. Ski resorts have made more than $9 million in investments for this ski season, including additional snowmaking capacity and grooming equipment, according to Ski NH. (SkiNh.com)
Snowmobile Trails
The Granite State boasts more than 110 snowmobile clubs and 7,400 miles of snowmobile trails. That’s more trails than paved highways, says Gail Hanson, executive director of the NH Snowmobile Association. Snowmobiling pumps about $586 million into the NH economy annually and there are about 53,000 registered snowmobiles in NH. (nhsa.com)
Santa’s Village
The Main Square at twilight in Santa's Village. (Courtesy photo)
This amusement park in Jefferson has been entertaining families during the summer for 63 seasons. It is entering its 19th winter season. While Santa keeps visitor figures a secret, attendance during the winter which runs weekends through Dec. 20 and New Year’s Day. Winter now accounts for 12 percent of annual visitors. (santasvillage.com)
Strawbery Banke Museum
Skating on Puddle Duck Pond at Strawbery Banke. (Courtesy photo)
This historic waterfront neighborhood in Portsmouth brings to life the spirit of Christmas Past with handcrafted decorations, live music and horse drawn carriage rides.
Last year, it added ice skating at the Puddle Duck Pond that attracted 22,000 skaters. There is also a Candlelight Stroll and new this year, holiday dinners in the historic William Pitt Tavern. (strawberybanke.org or vintagechristmasnh.org)
Local and Outlet Shopping
Settler's Green shopping center in North Conway. (Courtesy photo)
The lack of a sales tax makes NH a holiday shopping mecca. One huge tourism draw is the state’s three outlet centers—Merrimack Premium Outlets in Merrimack (premiumoutlets.com/Merrimack), Tanger Outlets in Tilton (tangeroutlet.com/Tilton) and Settler’s Green in North Conway (settlersgreen.com).
Settler’s Green has three shopping centers with over 70 stores. Sales between December and March represent approximately 30 percent of Settler’s Green’s annual sales, on average, says General Manager Dot Seybold. A good ski season can increase sales by as much as 5 percent.
Sled Dogs
There are several sled dog operators in NH and also sled dog races, including the Lake Chocorua Dog Sled Race held the first weekend in January that attracts up to 70 teams. (chocorualakeconservancy.org/news/sled-dog-races).
Journey to the North Pole
The train getting ready to depart. (Courtesy photo)
Formerly known as the Polar Express, this popular attraction draws throngs of families to North Conway and Lincoln for a two-hour round-trip train ride to see Santa. Tickets range from $47 to $67. (journeytothenorthpole.org)
Mount Washington Observatory Summit Day Trips
A visitor at the summit of Mt. Washington. (Courtesy photo)
A snowcat takes visitors to the Mount Washington Observatory on Mount Washington's snow-covered summit. The excursion, already sold out for January, includes a tour of the Observatory’s weather station. The trip costs $299 for members and $365 for non-members. (mountwashington.org)
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