New Hampshire tourism officials bullish about rebound

(The Center Square) — New Hampshire’s tourism industry was battered by the pandemic, with the state’s popular theme parks and roadside attractions idled amid government shutdowns to prevent spread of the virus.

But heading into the traditionally busy Memorial Day weekend, New Hampshire tourism officials are optimistic about a rebound.

Kris Neilsen, a spokeswoman for the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development, says pent-up consumer demand, along with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and improved public health metrics, bode well for a good season.

“We’re very optimistic about this season,” she said. “Travel restrictions have been relaxed, we have very high vaccination rates, Covid cases continue to come down and we’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors back.”

Tourism officials project the Granite State will welcome about 3.45 million visitors this summer, spending an estimated $1.8 billion dollars.

“That’s really going to be similar to what our 2019 levels were,” Neilsen said. “It’s really encouraging.”

The state’s hospitality industry – including hotels, restaurants and other businesses – lost more than $775 million through last November, amid a 15% decline in visitors, according to the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association. The losses also meant the state forfeited an estimated $70 million in rooms and meals tax collections, the trade group said. Tourism is New Hampshire’s second-largest money maker following the service industry. While the state is known for its fall foliage and winter skiing, summer is the most profitable season. Gov. Chris Sununu, who one year ago told tourists to “stay home” as the state battled the outbreak, is encouraging visitors who were “robbed” of vacations last year to come back. Sununu has dropped nearly all of the state’s COVID restrictions, including a mask mandate, amid declining infections and one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation. Tourism officials note that while the statewide mask mandate has been lifted, some communities and businesses have kept the restrictions in place as a precaution. One thing they could complicate the industry’s rebound is a hiring crunch that has the state holding job fairs and offering cash bonuses just to get people back to work.

Many hospitality industries are struggling to find workers to fill vacancies with tens of thousands of people still collecting generous unemployment benefits.

Last week, Sununu said the state will be ending participation in federal unemployment programs on June 19, including a $300 per week benefit.

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