Summer Events At New Hampshire Concert Venue Mean Hope For Tourism Traffic
CONCORD, N.H. (CBS/AP) — A 9,000-seat amphitheater in New Hampshire's Lakes Region is advertising a combination of reduced- and full-capacity shows this summer, and businesses that benefit from people visiting the venue are happy to see some traffic again.
"Of course it's going to be much better than 2020, but I'm not sure it's going to be as good as 2019," Frank Tuscano, general manager of the nearby Fireside Inn and Suites, told The Laconia Daily Sun. "If we can do the numbers like we did in 2018, I'd be very happy."
Tuscano said when the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford had to cancel its shows last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, it cut his season's numbers nearly in half. In 2019, combination of multiple shows and Motorcycle Week kept him busy in the summer.
Amy Landers of the Lakes Region Tourism Association said the Bank of NH Pavilion, as well as the Great Waters festival in Wolfeboro, feature talent that inspires fans to drive from Massachusetts, Vermont or Maine, and engage in other tourism in the area.
Other concert venues in New Hampshire are also preparing for a return to live music.
Country music star Eric Church announced an upcoming indoor concert date in Manchester as part of his "Gather Again Tour." He became one of the first artists to announce a large-scale indoor tour stop in New England since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
