By Andrew Sylvia
MANCHESTER INK LINK
CONCORD – Last week, the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development reported that the Fall 2021 tourism season brought 4.3 million visitors into the state, an increase of 38 percent over 2019, which had been the year with the largest number of visitors to that point.
Visitors spent nearly $2 billion, an increase of 65 percent from 2019. Overall for fall, winter and summer of 2021, New Hampshire saw a 43 percent increase in visitation and 35 percent increase in spending over pre-pandemic levels.
In the Merrimack Valley, which includes Manchester, there was a 49 percent increase in spending and a 32.2 percent increase in overnight visitors to the area during the 2021 fall season according to Lauren Getts Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Director of Marketing and Communications.
“Tourism is critical to the economic growth of the State of NH’s economy. Beyond creating jobs and business opportunities, a strong tourism industry also helps to build infrastructure, provide more community resources, and aids in the preservation and education around the beautiful natural resources of the Granite State,” said Getts. “While (the Fall 2021 increases) may appear obvious at first glance, as we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re equivalent to $577.2 million in spending and 990k visitors – numbers that are significantly higher than any previous year, in over a decade.”
More information on New Hampshire tourism can be found at www.visitnh.gov
These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.