People Staying Close to Home

Staycation marketing has worked, according to the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association. New Englanders and Canadian travelers contributed to a successful summer of spending. Visitor numbers are up, local attractions, campgrounds and parks are enjoying increased traffic.

Food dollars account for 48 percent of consumer spending. Hospitality operators stepped up their marketing efforts this summer and implemented creative approaches to get visitors through their doors to grab a piece of that spending. They introduced gas packages, attraction packages and overnight incentives to entice visitors to come and spend money in New Hampshire. Fully $81 million was anticipated to be spent over Labor Day Weekend according to a report prepared for the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development by the Institute for New Hampshire Studies (INHS).

Many of our members are benefiting from local travelers; visitors enjoy the attractions, they dine in the restaurants, they book an overnight stay and are able to return home on less than one tank of gas. said Michelline Dufort, president and CEO of the NHLRA.