The economy continues to surprise and buck any trend predicted in the wake of current events. Gas prices, weather, supply chain and staffing issues, and global unrest aren’t enough to keep visitors from traveling. In fact they are probably the exact reasons people are.

Mt. Washington Valley businesses saw record-breaking statistics this Memorial Day Weekend when comparing their numbers to years past. It’s clear that visitors are looking for an escape, and an opportunity to truly enjoy life and leave their worries at home. The White Mountains is the perfect destination to do just that.

Jen Kovach of Snowvillage Inn confirmed how much visitors love vacationing in the valley by sharing the theme of many of their guests vacation, which included hiking, brewery tours, and dinner at Max’s Pub at Snowvillage Inn. In quote “They had an epic weekend…They loved the vibe.”

Snowvillage Inn also reported a very busy weekend, with a solid summer in place. Kovach noted that many of the inn’s guests were new faces as well, meaning that the valley continues to be discovered.

Beach Camping Area and Saco River Tubing Center enthusiastically reported record numbers that far outpaced the last three Memorial Day Weekends for each business. The Beach Camping Area sold out for the first time ever; with the campground being 80% full by 6pm Friday evening. The guests were great and Canadians visitors are starting to make their way back to the valley, and are excited to return to the area.

Information like this, that show guests are returning to Mt. Washington Valley, Canadians are able to re-enter the states, and new guests are discovering it is obviously encouraging for a tourist destination. It’s the whole point of being one - but with an influx of guests also means greater responsibility in educating guests on preserving and protecting the valley’s resources - from staff to wildlife to water, and land.

The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce continues to perpetuate its MWV Pledge, a ten-point responsibility code that encompasses safety precautions and responsibility tenets that cover how to preserve the land and trails; how to treat one another in shared spaces; how to protect state’s wildlife and the indigenous flora and fauna, as well as how to preserve the state’s waterways. Visitors and locals alike are encouraged to visit www.mwvpledge.com, and sign their name to the pledge, and promise to preserve and protect the White Mountains.

Responsible and sustainable tourism, as well as ethically selling the recreational product of the Mt. Washington Valley has become a primary focus of the Chamber and many of its members. The chamber is building on this focus through its MWV Pledge; “Learn from a Local, Live Like a Local,” program; Hire A Guide program; Outdoor Industry Business Expo, held in mid-April, as well as the White Mountains Outdoor, Health, & Wellness Fest coming up on June 11th.

Perpetuating these programs is critical as many businesses such as Great Glen Trails and Saco River Tubing Center reported that their respective activities - biking and canoeing - were main reasons visitors planned a vacation in Mt. Washington Valley.

Nate Harvey of Great Glen Trails shared “We had a huge number of folks use our trails for biking on Sunday.  They are bringing their families with their own bikes and spending 3 hours or so.”

Pete Gagne of Saco River Tubing Center said that the center “had its busiest weekend ever. Typically Memorial Day is lousy for Canoe/Kayak/River tubing rentals. I always joke we would make more money closing Memorial Day weekend than operating. This year we did more guests than the last 3 Memorial Day weekends combined!”

Tom Spaulding of The Glen House Hotel confirmed that the hotel was very busy, and sold out

Saturday and Sunday, with guests taking advantage of hiking, fat biking and trail walking at Great Glen Trails, and riding up the Mt. Washington  Auto Road.

The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased to report a strong Memorial Day Weekend on behalf of its members, and share that these numbers are an indicator of solid bookings throughout the summer. It wants to take a moment to thank each and every business owner and their staff for how hard they are working to make the valley an open and welcoming destination. It offers its support in any way it can, and wants to remind members of all the benefits they have access to including the MWV Sampler Golf Pass, support in finding workforce, and more. For full member benefits, visit www.mwvcc.org.

For more information about visiting Mt Washington Valley during the upcoming summer season, go to www.visitmwv.com, or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) .  For more information on New Hampshire vacations, please visit www.VisitNH.gov.

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