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NH Division of Tourism Hosts Focus Groups

Recently, the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) distributed invitations to participate in a series of focus groups throughout the state, beginning in November.

According to their website….

“The Division of Travel & Tourism (DTTD) is beginning an exciting process to develop a Tourism Development Strategy (TDS) to guide future tourism industry growth and development across the state. To facilitate this process, DTTD has engaged JLL’s Global Tourism and Destinations practice to lead the planning process. The TDS planning process will include several opportunities for stakeholder input to further inform and guide the outcomes. The first opportunity to participate in the TDS process will be during the kickoff week of 10/31.”

There will be three to four focus groups per region. Each group will be focused on a certain category of tourism activity/business per region; for example, “Attractions, Retail, Arts & Culture,” or “Food and Beverage Businesses (including breweries and wineries), and “Lodging, Chambers, Municipalities.”  Click on a region below to see when and where each focus group was held:

Great North Woods
White Mountains
Lakes
Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee
Monadnock
Merrimack Valley
Seacoast

BWANH immediately shared the invitation with a variety of groups and organizations throughout the state relevant to bike, ped and rail trail advocacy. Many immediately replied and signed up to attend the focus groups.  A Bike-Walk Alliance representative attended one of the sessions and is providing detailed information on economic impact studies on the value of promoting biking and walking opportunities.

We hope these focus groups will result in more advertising, awareness, promotion and support of activities that involve biking and walking through the NH Division of Travel & Tourism. For example, we’d love to see more promotion of all of New Hampshire’s rail trails, the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail, bike packing, and the New Hampshire Rail Trail Challenge, just to name a few opportunities.