Fall In New Hampshire To Bring Leaf-Peepers Enjoying Food And Fun: Watch

CONCORD, NH — Everyone who lives in New Hampshire knows when the autumn leaves, of red and gold, drift by our windows, it is a very special time to be in the Granite State.

And after a better than expected summer tourism season, state officials and business leaders are hoping the trend will continue into the fall, COVID-19 pandemic or not. Due to lessened restrictions and tourists feeling safer and more secure while traveling, state officials expect 3.2 million visitors to New Hampshire in the coming months — with hopes they will spend close to $1.4 billion while they are here.

“We are really predicting that this is going to be one of the best foliage years in recent history,” Taylor Caswell, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “If you come and see the colors, you’re going to have a good time here.”

One of the reasons for the optimism for the fall was the strong summer season.

The final numbers, Caswell said, were not available yet. But the preliminary data points to one of the best seasons ever last summer despite the lingering issues of coronavirus. The strong season, too, had been a “real relief” to the restaurant, lodging, and tourism businesses that were rocked in 2020, Caswell said. One of the reasons for the increase was residents and tourists were looking to get outdoors now more than ever, he added.

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For the fall 2021 season, officials will be continuing to stress the need to preserve natural resources while enjoying them.

The state will be continuing with its “Don’t Take New Hampshire For Granite” and Leave No Trace promotions. The efforts hope to promote sustainability while reminding visitors to clean up after themselves, plan ahead, and respect one another during their trips.

“They demonstrate to people that we need to protect the natural resource that they are using, for future generations,” Caswell said. “It is literally the lifeblood of our tourism industry.”

Lori Harnois, the director of travel and tourism for the state, said officials were marketing the state via advertising and digital markets up and down the Northeast in an effort to ensure those millions of visitors come to New Hampshire.

She said, despite the challenges, strong growth was expected. Harnois said while tourism was “a critical industry” for the state, there are a lot of things to do, including fall road trips, apple picking, hiking, leaf-peeping, corn mazes, and “delicious pitstops along the way” like wineries and restaurants, and much more.

Fall Adventures Are Waiting In New Hampshire Video

“We’re really excited about the season,” she said, “and looking forward to welcoming the visitors to our great state.”

Mike Somers, the president of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, said while it was “fantastic” tourism came “roaring back” during the summer, his sector was still dealing with staffing and supply chain issues.

The org, he said, was supporting the sustainability and planning aspect of the fall campaign — requesting patience and understanding from customers if hours are not the same at eateries or menu items were not available. Somers said many restaurants were sorry they were unable to keep up with the business like they had been able to in the past but they were doing all they could to serve tourists.

“We’re really urging our guests to embrace the tenants of this campaign,” Somers said. “We’ve all heard the horror stories … irate customers of restaurants, venting at the staff … we really ask folks to have a little bit of patience, a bit of understanding, and just know that these guys are doing the best that they can do.”

For more information about activities in New Hampshire, click on the Visit NH website, linked here.

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