Snow Delivers Guests for February
Vacation Week, But Business Gains
are Modest for the Period

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NORTH CONWAY, NH – With the best snow in several years, Mt. Washington Valley welcomed snow lovers with open arms this past week, the important February School Vacation Break. Despite ample snowfall, business levels were uneven, according to those responding to a survey sent out by the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce to its member businesses. Ski areas, hotels, restaurants and attractions reported varying degrees of visitation.

Chris Proulx, Executive Director for the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber, stated, “Skiers are raving about snow conditions right now. After a series of storms earlier this month, you could not ask for better snow for skiing, snowmobiling and sledding. It definitely attracted visitors to our region.”

Mt. Washington Valley ski areas saw increases in certain lines of business, especially children’s lessons. Becca Deschenes, Marketing Director for Cranmore Mountain said that while business was down overall compared to last year, kids lessons were up significantly over last year. She also shared that high winds on Monday and Tuesday impacted business.

Chris McNevich of King Pine Ski Area stated results were “consistently solid” for the week. Known for reliable snow cover due to their high elevation in Pinkham Notch, Great Glen also noted that there were more options available to visitors this year due to good snow coverage across much of New England.

Ellen Chandler, Executive Director at Jackson Ski Touring, stated that windy conditions at the start of the week deterred some skiers, but they finished strong with a huge turnout for the UNH Winter Carnival, a Nordic ski race attracting hundreds of participants. Colleges represented included Harvard, Dartmouth, Bates and University of New Hampshire among many others.

The New England Ski Museum shared that they were generally busy with 2-3 very busy days. Executive Director Andrea Masters stated, “Gift store sales were low but the donation jar income was really good!”

Many Area Hotels at Capacity

Lodging properties reported strong sales. The Fairfield Inn at Cranmore reported they were up in occupancy and average daily rate for the entire week, compared to the previous year. Some dates were sold out and most were close to sold out.

The White Mountain Hotel stated they were sold out for both weekends, and midweek was strong while not sold out. GM Trevor Sullivan added, “President’s Day Weekend and Valentine’s Day were exceptionally busy for us.”

Paul Durfee Marketing Director from the Berry Cos., owners of the Eastern Slope Inn and Attitash Mt. Village, reported an increase in occupancy which he attributed to a huge influx of vacation ownership units being utilized. Business from transient guests were down 5% compared to last year as a result.

Alex Foti, President of Bretton Woods Vacations, stated, “Business this February vacation week was fantastic! We were sold out on a few days, and the number of future bookings we received during the week outpaced last year by 3-fold, which gives us a very optimistic outlook for the coming months.”

Dining Results

Restaurants were busy for the week, as reported by Sue and Dave Hausman of Big Dave’s Bagels and Bill Frittenburg of Black Cap Grille. Frittenburg added, “Overall it was a great week. Lunches were a little off with the great snow conditions, but we made up for it with big dinners.”

North Conway Village recently saw two new dining establishments open just in time for February Vacation Week, Saco River Brewing and the Saphouse Meadery. Both reported decent weeks, especially the second half when nice weather brought more foot traffic into the Village. Erik Ruger, manager for Saco River Brewing, stated, “Business was fantastic; busy with room for more. Great tourist flow with people excited for a February vacation week with great snow. People were coming in talking about how much they were enjoying the natural snow off-trail and in the backcountry.”

Survey Results

42% reported that business was above their expectations.

28% reported it was what they expected.

28% reported that they were hoping for more business.

For more information, please contact the Mt.Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce at www.VisitMWV.com.

About the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce

The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting the economic vitality of the region. Through advocacy, marketing, and support, the Chamber works to enhance the quality of life for both residents and businesses in the Mt. Washington Valley.

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