Memorial Day weekend has always served as the unofficial kickoff to summer in the Granite State, and the 2026 season arrives with a familiar mix of optimism and economic anxiety. New Hampshire’s Department of Business and Economic Affairs is projecting roughly 4.8 million visitors between now and Labor Day, who together are expected to spend about $2.6 billion across the state. Those numbers, reported by NHPR on Friday, are roughly flat with last year, a notable result given how much has been working against the industry in 2026.

For a state where tourism is the second-largest industry behind technology, those projections matter. Hospitality businesses from the Seacoast to the North Country plan their hiring, ordering, and cash flow against the May-to-October corridor that delivers the majority of their annual revenue. A flat year in tourism is not what most operators hoped for after a strong winter ski season, but several owners and managers across the state are telling state media outlets they will take stability over decline.

A Stubborn Set of Headwinds

The bigger story this Memorial Day weekend is what New Hampshire’s tourism economy is overcoming. Gas prices remain elevated after a spring spike tied to instability in the Middle East, and the cost of food, lodging, and family entertainment continues to outrun wage growth in the Northeast. Just as important, Canadian visitation has been sliding since 2020 and accelerated downward in the last twelve months as trade tensions and a weaker Canadian dollar pushed cross-border travel out of reach for many families from Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes.

That last point matters more than most casual observers realize. Most visitors to New Hampshire come from the Northeast and Eastern Canada, with day-trippers and short-stay travelers from Boston, the Merrimack Valley, and southern Maine driving much of the volume. When Canadian travel softens, attractions in the White Mountains and the Lakes Region feel it first because those visitors typically stay longer, spend more on lodging, and add multi-stop itineraries that include dining, retail, and family attractions.

State officials and tourism leaders have spent the spring trying to message around those pressures rather than ignoring them. Governor Kelly Ayotte told reporters this week that state law enforcement will provide additional support over the Memorial Day weekend, particularly on the Seacoast, where unruly crowds at Hampton Beach earlier in May led to dozens of arrests and a chief-level commitment to start enforcement earlier than in past years.

Loon Mountain Bets on Free Bike Lessons

In Lincoln, Loon Mountain Resort opened its bike park and scenic gondola sky rides this weekend along with a slate of other summer attractions. Communications manager Taylor Siewierski said the resort is feeling cautiously optimistic, in part because of its location directly off Interstate 93, which keeps it within reach for day-trippers from southern New England even when gas prices climb.

Loon is returning a free downhill bike lessons program for a second year after more than a hundred new bikers signed up in its first season. “We saw some success and we’ve decided to bring it back for a second season, and we’re looking forward to seeing the program grow and getting new guests involved,” Siewierski said. The strategy reflects how the state’s larger mountain resorts have been diversifying away from a pure winter business model, leaning on lift-served biking, weddings, festivals, and family programming to fill the calendar from May to October.

For travelers who plan their winters around lift access, the bike park push fits a longer pattern at New Hampshire mountain operators. Vail Resorts, which owns Attitash, Wildcat, and Crotched Mountain, recently agreed to offer tax-free single-mountain season pass options for New Hampshire skiers and snowboarders after pressure from the state attorney general, a story we covered in our piece on the Vail Resorts tax-free ski pass deal.

Santa’s Village and a Christmas-in-May Strategy

About an hour north of Loon, Santa’s Village in Jefferson opened its summer season this weekend with what employees describe as cautious confidence. Jim Miller, one of “Santa’s Helpers,” told NHPR that ticket sales for the long weekend look similar to prior years even with broad economic turbulence around gas and energy costs.

“We’re always sensitive to what might be competing for people’s time and their finances,” Miller said. “And we do recognize that this year in particular, everything, even the basics, are competing more for finances.” The Jefferson park, like Clark’s Bears in Lincoln and Story Land in Glen, depends heavily on multi-generational family visits, often booked weeks in advance once parents pick a vacation week. Most of Santa’s Village visitors come from within New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts, with the Canadian share continuing to drift lower than it was five years ago.

Clark’s Bears Tries to Catch Cannon Mountain’s Travelers

Clark’s Bears in Lincoln, famous since 1928 for its bear shows and the Wolfman-themed train rides, also opened its summer gates this Memorial Day weekend. Employee Anne Englert said gas prices are the variable management is watching most closely because the family-favorite reputation only carries the park so far if travelers decide not to drive into the White Mountains in the first place.

“I will say the price of gas is a concern to us, for sure,” Englert said. “And wondering if our guests are going to make the trek up to the White Mountains to see us. However, we have been a family favorite for so many years that we do think that people will still come to see us.” She added that despite staffing challenges in previous years, Clark’s Bears was able to hire well for the 2026 season, which the park hopes will translate into shorter lines and a smoother visitor experience.

There is also opportunity in the misfortune of competitors. The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway is offline for parts of the season, and Granite State Railway has shifted toward rail bikes and away from full train rides. Englert said Clark’s Bears is hoping some of those travelers reroute their day trips and end up at the Lincoln property instead. “We feel like we’re probably going to get some extra visitors that might have gone up the tram, and they might decide to come and see us instead,” she said.

The Seacoast Plans for Crowds, Weather, and Surf

On the Seacoast, the calculation is a little different. Beach businesses do not need to convince anyone to visit on a hot Saturday in May or June. The challenge is managing volume, public safety, and weather risk. Luke Gould, who manages Summer Sessions surf shop in Rye, said the El Nino weather pattern is expected to deliver heavier rain to New England this summer but with a lower hurricane risk than the past two years.

“Fortunately, we’re down on Route 1, and we have free parking, so that makes a major difference for people being able to come down and enjoy the ocean and the beach and being able to share that with each other without it being cost prohibitive,” Gould said. Free parking is a small detail that matters a great deal at the margins. The combination of paid lots at Hampton Beach, surge pricing at private garages in Portsmouth, and the prospect of $3.50-plus gasoline can quietly knock a few hundred families out of a beach day.

Lifeguards along the New Hampshire coast are already preparing for a busy season. Patrick Murphy, chief of the New Hampshire State Beach Patrol, said the beaches filled up on warm days this spring and his teams expect that to continue. “After the winter we just had, people are going to want to get out,” Murphy said. “The beach has been very busy. We think that’s going to continue through the summer, even with gas prices being high.” His top safety tip is unchanged from years past: go to the beach when lifeguards are on duty, and pay attention to water temperature and rip current risk.

A More Visible Police Presence at Hampton Beach

The big variable on the Seacoast this season is crowd behavior. Earlier this month, an organized “Hampton Beach Takeover” event drew more than 50 arrests on the first hot weekend of the year, leading the Hampton Police Department to accelerate the rollout of its summer patrol plan. “The kickoff of our increased patrols happened a little early this year,” Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno said, “but there’s going to be a number of law enforcement personnel, lifeguards have staffed up, the fire department has staffed up.”

State troopers, marine patrol officers, and Fish and Game wardens are also expected to lean in over the holiday weekend at Ayotte’s direction. For Granite Staters planning a beach day, that means a visibly larger law-enforcement footprint, more vehicle stops near the beach access roads, and likely sobriety enforcement on Ocean Boulevard.

If history is a guide, the Memorial Day weekend tone tends to set expectations for the rest of the season. Tourism leaders are betting that the combination of strong winter momentum, aggressive summer marketing, and reasonably good weather will hold the $2.6 billion line. Granite Staters preparing for Memorial Day travel may also want to review Fish and Game’s hike-safe guidance, which has become an annual reminder for visitors heading into the White Mountains.

What to Watch Through Labor Day

Tourism economists watch a few signals to determine whether a season will hit projections. Hotel occupancy in Portsmouth and North Conway during the first half of June is one indicator. Ferry and harbor cruise bookings out of Portsmouth Harbor and the Isles of Shoals are another. Restaurant covers in the Lakes Region during the Fourth of July weekend are a third. If those track close to 2025, the state’s $2.6 billion projection has a strong chance of holding.

A weaker signal would show up first in the North Country and at the family attractions that depend on multi-day vacations, where shorter stays and smaller per-visit spending could bleed off as much as five percent of the total. State officials have not committed to mid-season interventions, but the rural health transformation push, the ongoing data-center zoning fight, and the visible police presence on the coast are all part of the broader policy mix shaping what kind of tourism New Hampshire wants to be. Granite Staters worried about workforce shortages in childcare and hospitality may want to revisit our coverage of stalled childcare funding affecting 73,000 New Hampshire kids, since the hospitality industry leans heavily on parents who depend on those programs.

For visitors arriving this weekend, the practical advice is unchanged: book ahead, plan around weather, respect lifeguards and rangers, and bring patience for the bigger crowds that arrive once school lets out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many visitors does New Hampshire expect this summer?

The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs projects about 4.8 million visitors between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2026, similar to last year despite headwinds from gas prices and declining Canadian travel.

How much will summer tourism contribute to the state economy?

The agency projects approximately $2.6 billion in visitor spending statewide during the 2026 summer season, roughly flat with the prior year. Tourism is New Hampshire's second-largest industry behind technology.

Why is Canadian tourism declining in New Hampshire?

Cross-border travel from Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes has been sliding since 2020 and accelerated downward in the past year due to trade tensions, a weaker Canadian dollar, and rising travel costs. The drop hits North Country and Lakes Region attractions hardest because Canadian visitors typically stay longer and spend more.

What new programs are New Hampshire attractions offering this summer?

Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln is returning its free downhill bike lessons program for a second year. Clark's Bears in Lincoln and Santa's Village in Jefferson opened their summer seasons over Memorial Day weekend, and Hampton Beach is rolling out an expanded police presence after May arrests at an unruly "Takeover" event.

Is Hampton Beach safe to visit on Memorial Day weekend?

Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno said the department, state police, fire personnel, and lifeguards are all staffed up after more than 50 arrests at an organized takeover event earlier in May. Governor Kelly Ayotte said state law enforcement will provide additional Memorial Day weekend support. Visitors should expect a heavier police presence than usual.

read more