Summer tourism puts the ‘green’ in Green Mountain State

By KEVIN O’CONNOR Staff Writer

Think winter is Vermont ’s most register-ringing tourist season?You’re cold.

Fall? Still chilly.

Summer? Red hot.

Summer tourism in the state accounts for $276 million in spending a month, $18.5 million more than a ski month and $39.2 million more than a foliage month, a state study shows.

Summer tourism’s impact on the Vermont economy totals more than $1 billion — equal to what the state reaps from dairy farming all year, the University of Vermont has found in a study for the state Department of Tourism and Marketing.

Summer tourists spend most of their money on shopping — a total of $195 million in the most recently reported season, 2001. Lodging is second at $190 million and restaurants are third at $152 million, followed by gasoline ($72 million) and groceries ($65 million).

Summer tourism supports nearly 17,000 jobs — almost 25 percent of all Vermont employment — putting a total of $284 million in paychecks and about $200 million in state tax coffers.

Certain areas of the state benefit more from summer. Burlington , for example, accounts for almost 10 percent of all summer trips to Vermont , followed by Bennington at 6.5 percent, Stowe at 4.1 percent, Rutland at 3.8 percent and Brattleboro and Manchester , both at 3.2 percent.

But in general, fewer tourists are targeting one specific destination and instead are traveling throughout the state.

Almost a quarter of all summer tourists say they visit Vermont to see relatives, while almost 10 percent say they come to see friends. Another 10 percent say they want to get away, 8 percent want to shop and 7 percent are seeking “beauty and serenity.”

Ask what activity tourists do most and almost half say they buy a Vermont product, 42 percent say they relax and 30 percent say they visit a historic site.

Winter tourists spend the most per person — an average $281.70 per trip, compared with $181.54 for fall and $179.65 for summer — but summer reaps the state more total dollars because it draws more visitors.

That trend continues even as summer lodging revenue has dropped almost 25 percent since 1999, from $247 million to $190 million for the season.

“The Impact of the Tourism Sector on the Vermont Economy” study, available on line from the university’s Vermont Tourism Data Center, classifies summer as the months of June, July and August, fall as September, October and November, winter as December, January, February and March, and spring as April and May.

Contact Kevin O’Connor at kevin.oconnor@rutlandherald.com.