Press Kit
Mt Washington Valley businesses report stellar July 4 weekend in 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 6, 2010
Contact: Marti Mayne, 207-846-6331, info@maynelymarketing.com
WEATHER, FIREWORKS, SPECTACULAR IN MT WASHINGTON VALLEY
Businesses reported more families and groups for July 4th weekend
Mt Washington Valley, NH - Mt Washington Valley businesses reported a clear upswing in July 4th spending this year according to an informal survey distributed by the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce over the weekend. More than 87 percent of respondents claimed that spending increased or stayed the same this year over the 2009 July 4 weekend, with 69 percent claiming that spending increased. Increases were reported by lodging, campgrounds, attractions, golf courses, restaurants and pet care facilities. Many lodging properties reported last minute bookings, indicating that Mt Washington Valley visitors held out for the glorious weather forecast. Nearly 75 percent of respondents claimed that the favorable weather explained their increases in revenues or bookings over last year for the weekend.
"We had a terrific 4th of July holiday weekend," said said Heather Piche of North Woods Rafting . "The weather was beautiful and we had close to 100 people on the river at different times," she finished. Jonathan Rivers of Indian Mound Golf Club in Center Ossipee echoed Heather's statement, saying "Great weekend with many new faces; we've been real busy".
Lodging properties concurred with the strong weekend. More than 62 percent of lodging properties responding to the survey reported that room occupancy increased or stayed the same for July 4th weekend over last year, with nearly 45 percent claiming increases. Ken Lydecker at the Riverside Inn said "We had a great weekend, the weather was perfect, and our guests enjoyed hiking, biking, kayaking, fireworks, and dining at 'Valley Originals'." Nitesh Patel at Perry's Motels shared "4th of July weekend went very well; better than previous years!" Mary Ann Meyer at the Mt Washington B&B in Sherburne said "I've noticed a huge increase in British guests. Also, folks from the Netherlands are back.I used to see a number of guests from the Netherlands, but the over the past four or five years there has been a big decrease - this year they are on the increase." Richard Lefave at the Old Red Inn and Cottages shared "People in general are looking for deals. We offer a 15% discount for our Inn's 200th anniversary. We've also noted many last minute bookings this summer."
Sandy Allan, owner of the Beaver Hollow Campground was delighted with the weather this year, as all campground owners surely were. Sandy said "Last year was a total disaster due to rainy, cooler weather just about all season. This year the weather has been phenomenal. We have some new group promotions, and have added rental campers and revamping the web, ads and brochures seemed to have had a positive effect."
When asked to explain reasons for changes in July 4th weekend 2010 over 2009, more than 57 percent of respondents felt they welcomed more families this year. Nearly 43 percent of respondents felt there were more groups this year than last year. Sally Allan explained that there was a definite increase in younger families visiting the Valley this year. Ken Lydecker noted that guests came from Southern Maine, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the Boston area.
Looking forward toward the rest of the summer and Labor Day weekend, lodging properties admit it's tough to predict whether business will increase or stay the same given the tendency toward last minute reservations. Yet 75 percent of the Mt Washington Valley Chamber members who responded to the survey predicted that business will increase over the rest of the summer, and nearly 19 percent speculated it will stay the same. "I am encouraged by the optimism businesses have for the remainder of the summer," said Janice Crawford, Executive Director of the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. "Our members are the best bellwether for trends in Mt Washington Valley, and I'm convinced their optimism will breed positive results," finished Crawford.
For more information on vacationing in Mt Washington Valley, visit http://www.mtwashingtonvalley.org/, or visit the Chamber online on Facebook for special offers and insider information. To talk with a vacation planning specialist, call 1-800-DO-SEE-NH (800-367-3364).
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High-res photos available upon request.