As gas prices set new records, New Hampshire tourism officials said the state is in a good position to capitalize on travelers staying closer to home.Airfares are also rising, raising questions about whether people will still travel for vacations. Some Granite Staters said they’re staying local when they take time off.”You can get to the mountains in a couple hours, and you can kind of get a lot of experiences just within New Hampshire,” said Rob Hopkinson, of Newfields. “But I think long-term travel, it’s just harder to swallow the $100 gas bill.””I wouldn’t do a big, long trip to Florida,” said Melissa Foderaro, of Derry. “I wouldn’t drive. It’s too expensive. I just wouldn’t do it.”New Hampshire tourism officials said they’re optimistic. New Englanders make up the biggest portion of travelers to the Granite State, and Canadian tourists are set to return this year.”We’re so close,” said Brent Wucher, spokesman for New Hampshire State Parks. “We’re just as close to the Canadian border as we are to Massachusetts and Connecticut, so now that the border is open, I think we’re going to see an influx. They’re going to go back to people wanting to go back to those great attractions we have, like Franconia Notch, Mount Washington.”The state park system’s 23 campgrounds have lots of pre-registration, with more than 90% of nearly 1,400 sites already booked for Memorial Day weekend.”People are really planning their vacation, staying a little bit longer, so they don’t have to make that drive to and from,” Wucher said.Doug Palardy said the three Seacoast inns he owns are already busy.”We’re within an hour of Boston, and that is always our biggest tourism draw, from Boston metro,” he said.Wucher recommended that anyone hoping to enjoy the parks for a day visit or overnight make a reservation using the state’s online system.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. —
As gas prices set new records, New Hampshire tourism officials said the state is in a good position to capitalize on travelers staying closer to home.
Airfares are also rising, raising questions about whether people will still travel for vacations. Some Granite Staters said they’re staying local when they take time off.
“You can get to the mountains in a couple hours, and you can kind of get a lot of experiences just within New Hampshire,” said Rob Hopkinson, of Newfields. “But I think long-term travel, it’s just harder to swallow the $100 gas bill.”
“I wouldn’t do a big, long trip to Florida,” said Melissa Foderaro, of Derry. “I wouldn’t drive. It’s too expensive. I just wouldn’t do it.”
New Hampshire tourism officials said they’re optimistic. New Englanders make up the biggest portion of travelers to the Granite State, and Canadian tourists are set to return this year.
“We’re so close,” said Brent Wucher, spokesman for New Hampshire State Parks. “We’re just as close to the Canadian border as we are to Massachusetts and Connecticut, so now that the border is open, I think we’re going to see an influx. They’re going to go back to people wanting to go back to those great attractions we have, like Franconia Notch, Mount Washington.”
The state park system’s 23 campgrounds have lots of pre-registration, with more than 90% of nearly 1,400 sites already booked for Memorial Day weekend.
“People are really planning their vacation, staying a little bit longer, so they don’t have to make that drive to and from,” Wucher said.
Doug Palardy said the three Seacoast inns he owns are already busy.
“We’re within an hour of Boston, and that is always our biggest tourism draw, from Boston metro,” he said.
Wucher recommended that anyone hoping to enjoy the parks for a day visit or overnight make a reservation using the state’s online system.
