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FEATURED ARTICLE
N.H. tourism makes comeback
By Associated Press
Published: September 2007
MANCHESTER — August's summer sun raised more than the temperature — it raised tourism dollars in New Hampshire.
After a soft start in July, the summer season made a strong comeback in August, state tourism experts say.
Fourth of July week was "not as good as we had hoped" said Alice DeSouza, director of the state Division of Travel and Tourism. By late August, tourism business was "coming back with a vengeance."
Visitors waited for warm weather to go on vacation in New Hampshire, and when they did, they preferred cooking to dining out, campgrounds over hotels, and hiking, biking and kayaking over more expensive pursuits.
DeSouza said August numbers showed retail sales up, well-attended events and a larger-than-ever number of vacationers using canoes and kayaks to access state waters.
The state Liquor Commission reported sales up, particularly at grocery and convenience stores.
Turnpike use was also up minimally, said state Transportation Department spokesman Bill Boynton. After falling in summer 2006, toll figures are up 2 percent this year, he said.
Doc Noel of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce credited the strong Canadian dollar for attracting tourists from the north.
"The Canadians come down and they are here for a while," he said. "August has been very good. We look to have a very good summer all the way around."
But in the North Country, business people wondered whether a strong August would be enough to make up for a weak July.
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