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NBC5 In Depth: Vermont tourism officials expect big rebound in summer travel

SUMMER YET? TRAVEL EXPERTS EXPECT TO CONTINUING REBOUND. THANKS TO PENT-UP DEMAND. AND SOME OF THE EAR SLYIGNALS ARE GOOD. BUT STATE LEADERS WON’T LEAVE ANYTHING TO CHANCE. THIS WEEK VERNTMO LGEOD TO 1 MILLION DOLLAR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN TARGETING SOCLIA MEDIA NATIALON WEBSITES AND PRINT ADVERTISING THEY WANT TO SELL VERMONT AS A MAGICAL DESTINATION THIS SUMMER AND FALL. THE TAGNELI IS CALLED A PLACE ALL ITS OWN. THIS MORNING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE VERMONT TRAVEL OUTLOOK FOR 2022. JOINING US TSHI MORNING HEAERTH LHPEAM THE COMMISSIONER OF TRAVEL AND MARKETING FOR VERMONT. WELCOME TO NBC5 AND DEATH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I’M THRILLED TO BE HERE. WELL, WE’RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ABOUT SUNSHINE AND 85 DEGREES GETS EVERYBODY IN THE MOOD FOR SUMMER. I’M WONDERING WHAT KIND OF SEASONOU Y ANTICIPATE FOR SUMMER VISITORS TO OUR REGION. WELL, WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE SUMMER TRAVERS THAT WE WILL SEE THIS YEAR AS YOU SAID NOTHING LIKE WARM WEATHER TO GET FOLKS THINKING ABOUT TRAVENGLI AND WE KWNO THAT THERE IS THIS PENT-UP DEMAND FOR TRAVEL. WE’V’ ALL HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTSVER O THE LAST FEW YEARS. SO NOW MORE THAN EVER FOLKS ARE REY ADTO GET OUTSIDE. ENJOY. ALL THE VERMONTAS HO T OFFER SO YES CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO VERY STRONG SEASON. THE THERE ARE DIFFERENT. POINTS AND YOU KNOW CLUES THAT WE LOOKOR F BUT ONE IS ADVANCED RESERVATIONSO T OUR STATE PARK SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, IT’S MIDDLE OF MAY SO I WOULD THINK WE’D WE’D KNOW SOMETHING FROM THAT. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? WE ARE HEARING THAT STATE PARK RESERVATIONSRE A VERY STRONG. WE HAVE SEEN OF SOME HOLIDAY WEEKENDS ARE DEFINITELY SOLD OUT. SO IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO VISIT STATE PARKS THIS SUMMER, YOU KNOW, PLEASEO G AHEADND A MAKE THOSE RESERVATIONS NOW, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. WHAT’S YOUR DATES ARE SET? IT’ST’ ’S NEIC FORS U TO SEE THAT AS AN OPTION FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND ALSO NICE TO SEE OUT OF STATE VISITORSND A CANADIAN FOLKS JOINING US ONCE AGAIN, SO THAT’S ANOTHER GREAT SIGN. YEAH. I WAS GON INA WAS GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT CANADNSIA WHOSE TRAVEL RESTRIIOCTNS NOW ARE HAVE ENDED YOU KNOW, SOHIS T WILL BE THE RST FISUMMER I GUESS. SINCE 2901 WHERE CANADIANS WHO HAVE BOATS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN, R EXFOAMPLE. CAN FINAL TLYAKE THE PLASTIC OFF AND LOOK UNDERNEATH. I MEAN, WE THEY’RE A MAJOR PART OF OUR WELL ANNUAL BUT SUMMER VISITORS, AREN’T THEY? THEY REALLY ARE AND YOU KNOW SUMMER IS OUR STRONGEST SEASON FOR VISITATION NUMBER ONE, BUT AS YOU SAID IT’S BEEN QUITE A LONG TIME SIENC WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO INVITE OUR FRIENDS FROM THE NORTH LONGER THAN YOU KNOW, WE MAY EVEN REALIZE SO ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN PART OFHE T STATE. IT’S THEY DEFINITELY HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON OUR TOURISM NUMBERSBOUT A FIVE PERCENTF O VISITATION OVERALL IN A NORMAL YEAR CESOM OUR CANIAADN VISITORS. JUST FOR CONTEXT WE USUALLY SEE ABOUT 13 MILLION VISITORS COME TO VERMONT. THE COURSE OF THE YREA SO AND WHAT PERCENTAGES CANADIAN? CANADIAN IS ABOUT 5% BUT THAT TRANSLATES TO ABOUT 700,000 VISITORS. SO IT’S IT’S NOT INSIGNIFICANT BY ANY MEANS. NO, I’M IT’S FINE. I THOUGHT ITIGHT M BE A LITTLE HIGHER I’M SPEAKING OF CANADIAN S.SOME OF MY ASSOCIATES EAR ARE BIT SHOCKED AT SOME OFHE T HOTEL ROOM RATES THAT THEY ARE FINDING THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO COMING DOWN TO BUINRLGTON. GETTING DEALS TIRHE PRICE SENSITIVE BECAUSE OF THE EXCHANGE RATE WHICH RIGHT NOW FAVORS AMERICANS, BUT I’M WONDERING ABOUT THAT. I CHECKED MIDDLE OF JUNE HOTEL. EXCUSE ME,HE T HILTON IN DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON 388 A NIGHT ANDY ONL FIVE ROOMS LEFT EVEN THE MOTEL 6 WILL COST YOU A BUCK 70 THAT WEEKEND MIDDLE OF JULY THE HILTON’S UP TO 495 AIG NHT HOTEL VERMONT NEXT DOOR. 464 RUTLAND DOWNTOWN U YOKNOW? STILL YOU’LL PAY 224 AT THE HAMPTON MIDDLE OF JULY. DAN DOWN SOUTH IN MANCHESTER MY OLD HOMETOWN. EQUINOX SHOULD EXPECT 551 ON NIGHT MIDDLEF O JULY, BUT BUT EVEN YOU KNOW SORT OF THE MEOR DEMOST ACCOMMODATIONS LIKE THE PALMER HOUSE .305 I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT DOOU Y THINK IS DRIVING THAT COMMISSIONER? WELL, I THINK THAT WE’RE SEEING INFLATIONARY PRESSURES THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY AND YOU KN,OW JUST AS YOU KNOW ORDINARY CITIZENS ARE FEELING THAT IN THEIR WALLET,OU Y KNOW, SAY AT THE GAS PUMP AND SO FORTH, YOU KNOW CTSOSRE A RISING FORUR O HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES AS WELL WHETHER THAT BE DUE TO SUPPLY CHAINS. SHORTAGES AND THE COST OF FOOD, WE’VE ALL EXPERIENCED THAT. ALL WE STILL HAVE WKFORORCE SHORTAGE. SO LORAB COSTS ARE GOING UP AND YOU KNOASW MHUC AS WE ARE OPTIMISTIC AND LOOKING FORWARD TO REALLY STRONG SUMMER, YOU KNOW, OUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES ARE STILL TRYING TO RECOVER FROM ALL THE LOSSES THAT THEY DID SUFFER THROUGH COVID. SO, YOU KW,NO MY GUESS IS THERE’S JUSPRT ESSURES ALL AROUND IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THE BOTTOM LINE STILL WORKS OUT, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT DOES NOT DETERNY A OF OUR VISITORS AND WE DO HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF LODGING OPTIONS HERE IN THE STATE, YOU KNOW ONE THING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO LKSFO IS JUST,OU Y KNOW, BE KIND UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE IS IS DOING THEIR BEST AND LOOKING FORWARD TO JUST ENJOYING THAT TIME WHIT FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO OUR RISING LARBO COSTS DRIVING ROOM RATES, DO YOU THINK IS THAT IS THAT THE THEORY WELL, I WOULDN’T I WOULDN’T NECESSARILY POINT OUT ANYNE O PRESSURE. I THINK THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PRESSURES I TNHE ECOMYNO RIGHT NOW LIKE I MENTIONED IN TERMS OF ALSO THE COST OF GOODSUT B SURE LABOR ISSUES ARE PART OF THAT. AND YOU KNOW AGAIN THERE’S THERE’S PENT UP DEMAND SO,OU Y KNOW WITH IT’S NOT JUST THAT THERE MAY BE RISING LABOR BUT YOU KNOW HOTELS AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS MAY NOTE B ABLE TO OPEN TO 100%F I THEY CAN’T GET THE STAFF THEY NEED SO THEN THAT’S AN INVENTORY PRESSURE AS WELL. MMM, SO DOOU Y HEAV ANY INDICATION FMRO PAST HISTORY HERE THAT GASOLINEOW N AT A RECORD HIGH, DOES THAT DISCOURAGE VISITORS TO A TO A IS IT A DISCERNIBLE IMPACT I MEAN OBVIOUSLY VERMONTERS ARE SENSITIVTOE IT, BUT OUR VISITORS WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WILL WE FROM THE DATA WE’RE SEEING WE DOET G DATA FROM THE US TRAVEL ASSOCIATION RISING GAS PRICES ARE AFFECTING FOLKS DECISION MAKING PROCESS, BUT THEY’RE NOT NECESSARILY DETERRING TMHE FROM TRAVELING. SO WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS THAT FOLKS MAY NOT BE FLYING OR TYHE MAY NOT BE THEY MAY CUT DOWN IN OTHER AREAS IN TERMS OF THEIR TRAVEL SPENDING. MAYBE THEY’RE NOTPE SNDING AS MUCH AS ON RETAIL OR SO FORTH AND THEY WOULD BE CHOOSING MORE CAR TRIPS OF OF YOU KNOW LONGER TRIPS,UT B WE’RE NOT SEEING THAT MANY PEOPLE CANCEL. I THINK IAW S A FIGURE MAYBE ABOUT 10% OF FOLKS MIGHT CANCEL EITHR PLANS ALTOGETHER THAT SAID WE’RE STILL SEEING OVER 90% OF FOLKS WHO PLAN ON TRAVELING THIS SUMMER. VERMONT IS LUCKYN I A SENSE THAT WE ARE WITHIN A HALF HOUR HALF A DAY’S DRIVE OF ALMOST 80 MILLION FOLKS BETENWEEW N YORK BOSTON MONTREAL. SO EVEN IF FOLKS ARE FAVORING A SHORTER TPRI THAT STILL DOES POSITION VERMONT WELL, WHAT ABOUT AIR TRAVEL? THE BURLINGTON AIRPORT SMSEE TO BE GONE GANGBUSTERS BUT I D’O’T KNOW IF THAT’S VERMONTERS LEAVING ON VACATION OR VISITORS ARRIVING. I MEAN, IT’S GREAT TO SEEHE T INCREASE IN VOLUME OF AIR TRAVEL JUST TO HAVING FOLKS OUT ABOUT WHETHER THEY’RE COMING. ANDOI GNG OUT I RSEALLY POSITIVE FOR FOR ALL THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT TOUSMRI BRINGS TO OUR ECONOMY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE TRENDS THAT WE’RE SEEG INARE REALLY NATIONWIDE IN TERMS OF AGAIN THESE INFLATIONARY PRESSUS,RE BUT HERE IN VERMONT IT IS JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE, YOU KNOW,UR O DOWNTOWN’S BUSTLGIN AGAIN PEOPLE ARE COMING IN AND OUT, YOU KNOW, OUR LOCAL RETAERSIL RESTAURANTS AND SO FORTH, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY DEPEND ON THATUT O OF STETA VISITATION. SO IT’S JUST IT’S WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT WE’RE AT THAT POINT. IN OUR RECOVERY THAT THAT FOLKS ARE OUTND A ABOUT IT SURE IS HEATHER PELHAM IS THE COMMISSIONER OF TRAVEL FOR THE STATE OF VERMONT. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.

NBC5 In Depth: Vermont tourism officials expect big rebound in summer travel

Have you made any plans for summer travel yet? Travel experts are expecting a rebound in travel this year, thanks in large part to pent-up demand. They said some of the early signals are good but state leaders aren’t leaving anything to chance. Last week, Vermont launched a $1 million advertising campaign targeting social media, websites and print advertising. It’s all part of an effort to sell the state as a magical destination for summer and fall tourism. The tagline is called “A Place All Its Own.”Heather Pelham, the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, joined NBC5 In Depth to discuss expectations surrounding the seasons. Open the video player above to view the full interview.

Have you made any plans for summer travel yet?

Travel experts are expecting a rebound in travel this year, thanks in large part to pent-up demand. They said some of the early signals are good but state leaders aren’t leaving anything to chance.

Last week, Vermont launched a $1 million advertising campaign targeting social media, websites and print advertising.

It’s all part of an effort to sell the state as a magical destination for summer and fall tourism. The tagline is called “A Place All Its Own.”

Heather Pelham, the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, joined NBC5 In Depth to discuss expectations surrounding the seasons. Open the video player above to view the full interview.