NH Enterprise: Climate and summer time tourism
Fred Kocher is joined by Wayne Presby, proprietor of the Washington Cog Railway and Dan Mardis, Co-owner of on the lake trip leases LLC
Up to date: 9:25 AM EDT Sep 17, 2023
BUSINESS. I’M FRED COKER. HOW MUCH DID THE WEATHER AFFECT NEW HAMPSHIRE’S SUMMER TOURISM THIS YEAR? WELL, SOME REPORTS ARE IN FROM A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN THE LAKES REGION AND THE MOUNT WASHINGTON VALLEY EARLY AND MID SUMMER REPORTS FOR NEW ENGLAND LACONIA CITY MANAGER CITED A DECREASE IN DAY TRIPPERS. CLARK’S BEARS SAID OVERALL ATTENDANCE FELL, BUT MOTEL BOOKINGS WERE STEADY. WAKE WINNIE WATER SPORTS CUSTOMERS WORRIED ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER LAHOOT SKI SHOP IN LINCOLN SALES WERE UP BECAUSE RAIN BOOSTED STORE FOOT TRAFFIC AND THEN LABOR DAY, MOUNT WASHINGTON VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SURVEY 86% OF MEMBERS REPORT AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE BUSINESS LEVELS. STORYLAND, MOUNT WASHINGTON AUTO ROAD, WHITE MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY DIDN’T HAVE SELL OUT CROWDS, BUT THEIR NUMBERS WERE STRONG. CHRISTMAS FARM IN THE BRUCE MARSHALL GROUP CONCERT, THE SAMUEL O’REILLY HOUSE, BED AND BREAKFAST HAD EITHER SELL OUT CROWDS OR DOUBLE DIGIT SALES WITH ME TO ADD TO THIS STORY IS THE OWNER OF THE MOUNT WASHINGTON COG RAILWAY, WAYNE PRESBY. WELCOME, WAYNE AND THE CO-OWNER OF AT THE LAKE VACATION RENTALS, ALSO A REALTOR IN MOULTONBOROUGH, DAN MARTIS, WHERE I HAVE RENTED MYSELF. WELCOME TO WAYNE AND NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE. LET ME START WITH YOU. THE COG RAILWAY, ONE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S ICONIC ATTRACTION, IN MY OPINION, AND IN YOURS, I’M SURE. HOW MANY PEOPLE TOOK THE RIDE TO THE TOP OF THE 400 ZERO FOOT AT THE WAMBACH STATION IN THIS SUMMER? UH, WELL, THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST SUMMER THAT WE EVEN OFFERED THAT AS AN OPTION. AND THE TRIPS TO WAUMBEK ITSELF WERE NOT AS ROBUST AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN. BUT BUSINESS OVERALL WAS VERY GOOD THIS YEAR, EXCEEDING BUSINESS LEVELS THAT WE HAD IN 2019. THEY WEREN’T QUITE UP TO THE LEVELS THAT WE SAW IN 2021 WHEN THE REBOUND FROM COVID HIT. BUT RIGHT. DAN, YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUE SUE AND YOUR STAFF OPERATE A LAKES REGION VACATION RENTAL BUSINESS OUT OF MOULTONBOROUGH. HOW WAS BUSINESS THIS SUMMER, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER? DID IT CHANGE ANYBODY’S PLANS? WELL WELL, OF COURSE, WE WISH FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE SUNSHINE THIS SUMMER, FRED. BUT OVERALL, AL, IT WAS ACTUALLY A RECORD YEAR FOR US AND BUSINESS WAS UP 50% YEAR OVER YEAR. AND A LOT OF THAT WAS DUE TO CONTINUED STRONG DEMAND THAT WE FIRST, YOU KNOW, SAW WITH THE PANDEMIC CONTINUING ON, BUT ALSO THE ORGANIC GROWTH OF THE COMPANY. YEAH, YEAH. AND WHETHER DID IT PLAY A ROLE? I THINK A LITTLE BIT TO SOME EXTENT, FRED. I MEAN, THE A LOT OF OUR INVENTORY BOOKS UP IN FALL AND WINTER, SO WE DON’T WE DON’T HAVE A LOT OF INVENTORY THAT WE CAN MAKE AVAILABLE ON A LAST MINUTE BASIS. AND I’LL ASK YOU ABOUT FALL AND WINTER IN JUST A MINUTE. SURE. WAYNE, YOU EXPANDED THE WAUMBEK STATION AT THE AT THE 400 ZERO FOOT LEVEL ALREADY. BUT NOW YOU WANT TO BUILD A HOTEL AND A RESTAURANT AT SOME POINT ON MOUNT WASHINGTON. WHAT’S THE STATUS OF THAT? WELL, WE’RE STILL MOVING AHEAD WITH WITH PLANS FOR THAT. BUT THERE’S A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO COMPLETE AT THE BASE TO ENABLE US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT. YEAH, BUT IT IS MOVING FORWARD. IT IS MOVING FORWARD. THAT’S THAT’S VERY AMBITIOUS. IT IS VERY AMBITIOUS. OKAY. DAN, THE VACATION RENTAL BUSINESS GOING THROUGH INTO THE FALL AND WINTER BECAUSE YOU RENT ALL YEAR LONG, I ASSUME. WHAT’S IT GOING TO BE LIKE? WE DO. YOU KNOW, IT DOES QUIET DOWN IN OUR MARKET IN THE LAKES REGION. IT DOES QUIET DOWN AFTER LABOR DAY. BUT WE DO HAVE A GOOD NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO WILL DO 3 TO 4 NIGHT RENTALS, YOU KNOW, FALL FOLIAGE TYPE RENTALS. AND I THINK ONE OF THE DIFFERENTIATORS FOR A MARKET LIKE THE LAKES REGION, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO SOMETHING LIKE LIKE THE CAPE IS THAT IT IS MORE FOUR SEASONS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE FOLKS THAT WILL COME UP DURING MASSACHUSETTS VACATION WEEK OR THEY’LL RENT FOR FISHING DERBY OR POND HOCKEY. SO, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUSINESS HAPPENS MID-JUNE THROUGH LABOR DAY, BUT IT IS A NICE FOUR SEASON OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO COME UP. AND THEY’RE LOOKING FOR ACCOMMODATIONS. YEAH. AND WAYNE, THE TRAIN THE COG RAILWAY RUNS ALL YEAR LONG IS THAT RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. WE WE STARTED DOING THAT AS, AS AS COVID WAS GETTING OVER. IT WAS DURING THE WINTER OF 2021, 22. WE STARTED DOING THIS. SO WE’RE GOING ACTUALLY INTO OUR FOURTH WINTER SEASON. AND IN THE WINTER WE JUST RUN UP AS FAR AS THE NEW WAUMBEK STATION. YEAH, YEAH. WAYNE PRESBY, OWNER OF MOUNT WASHINGTON, COG RAILWAY. THANK YOU. AND DAN MARDIS, WHO IS CO-OWNER OF AT THE LAKES VACATION RENTALS AND A REALTOR THERE IN WILTON MOULTONBOROUGH. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. IF YOU WANT TO SEE OR MISS PART OF THIS BRIEFING ON THE SUMMER POST SUMMER NEW HAMPSHIRE TOURISM, YOU C
NH Enterprise: Climate and summer time tourism
Fred Kocher is joined by Wayne Presby, proprietor of the Washington Cog Railway and Dan Mardis, Co-owner of on the lake trip leases LLC
Up to date: 9:25 AM EDT Sep 17, 2023
How a lot did the climate have an effect on summer time tourism this yr? Companies in Laconia, Lincoln and Glen noticed a particular decline in day-trippers collaborating in outside actions, however motels, inns and touristy retailers stayed regular in foot visitors and bookings.Lake-related actions slowed because of heavy rains and flooding all by way of the summer time months.On this phase of New Hampshire’s enterprise, Fred Kocher is joined by Wayne Presby, proprietor of the Washington Cog Railway and Dan Mardis, Co-owner of the lake trip leases LLC to debate this previous summer time’s tourism in New Hampshire.
How a lot did the climate have an effect on summer time tourism this yr?
Companies in Laconia, Lincoln and Glen noticed a particular decline in day-trippers collaborating in outside actions, however motels, inns and touristy retailers stayed regular in foot visitors and bookings.
Lake-related actions slowed because of heavy rains and flooding all by way of the summer time months.
On this phase of New Hampshire’s enterprise, Fred Kocher is joined by Wayne Presby, proprietor of the Washington Cog Railway and Dan Mardis, Co-owner of the lake trip leases LLC to debate this previous summer time’s tourism in New Hampshire.
