Since 2011, spending among visitors has grown from $0.9 billion in the winter of 2011 to $1.5 billion in the winter of 2023 and 2024, according to state data . While spending has generally trended up, some years were an exception, such as the winter of 2021, when travel was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism expects about 3 million people to visit the Granite State between December and February, a 4.1 percent increase from last winter, when 2.9 million visitors came to the state.
State tourism officials are anticipating a busy winter, and they’re predicting that visitors to New Hampshire could spend a record $1.6 billion this year.
Tourism is an important industry for New Hampshire’s economy, generating around $330 million in tax revenue through the Meals & Rooms Tax, according to the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs. Tourism is the second largest industry in the state, according to Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
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Winter is typically the slowest season for tourism, while summer has typically been the busiest. In 2023, for instance, there were 4.5 million visitors during the summer, and 3 million during the winter. Fall was the second busiest season, with 3.7 million visitors, followed by spring which saw 3.1 million.
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The state calculates tourism predictions using a range of data including historical data, current trends, national travel trends from the US Travel Association and their forecasts for overall trends (is travel up or down, what type of trips, and destinations), in addition to occupancy trends in the state, according to a spokesperson for the Division of Travel and Tourism Development.
“New Hampshire’s winter season is an integral part of our tourism industry, driving jobs, and supporting businesses in every corner of the state,” Caswell said.
Jessyca Keeler, the president of Ski NH, an organization that promotes the state as a ski destination, said 10 alpine resorts planned to open last week, in addition to four that have already opened to visitors.
“This drop in temperatures will provide resorts with a great opportunity to make snow,” she said.
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Many resorts have invested in snowmaking, with more efficient equipment that promises to improve the production and quality of artificial snow.
“It enables ski areas to open earlier and stay open even when Mother Nature isn’t producing as much snow as we’d like,” Keeler said.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
N.H. tourism officials predict visitors will spend big this winter
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