-
Hanover, NH Town Manager, Rob Houseman, points out site of future pocket park on Main Street in the heart of the town.
-
Doug Arbogast from West Virginia University interacts with art instillation on the evolution of technology at Dartmouth’s Hood Museum of Art.
-
The group enjoys an afternoon stroll on the Northern Rail Trail in Enfield.
-
Lebanon New Hampshire’s City Manager, Shaun Mulholland walks the West Virginia contingent through a mural-lined underpass that connects parts of the city that were once separated by a rail line.
-
The group learns about preservation challenges and visitor opportunities at the Enfield Shaker Museum and La Salette Shrine in Enfield.
-
The group gathers outside of the historic Copeland Block building in Enfield Village.
As part of a collaborative, multi-state project to explore how rural communities can develop thriving tourism and recreation economies, the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension recently welcomed a group from West Virginia to the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont. This exchange builds on last fall’s visit by the UNH team to West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest region (see highlights from that trip here). The West Virginia team was comprised of Doug Arbogast and Daniel Eades, Extension faculty from West Virginia University and Jessica Sutton of Elkins, West Virginia, who chairs the Mon Forest Towns Partnership. Lisa Chase, Director of the Vermont Tourism Research Center and Extension Specialist with the University of Vermont, also joined us, as UNH’s project partner for the bi-state Upper Valley study region.
The West Virginia group’s visit was part of the Tourism First Impressions program—an engagement initiative that helps communities and regions take stock of their tourism assets and guide them in developing strategies to enhance tourism. While a key goal is to grow the local economy, the program emphasizes finding opportunities that align with community goals. It begins with data collection and visitor impressions, ultimately informing community-driven strategies for tourism development.
During the visit, the West Virginia team explored iconic local attractions like the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, the scenic Quechee Gorge, and the innovative Artisan’s Park in Windsor. Throughout their stay, they met with local officials, business leaders, and community partners—including our host, Tracy Hutchins, Executive Director of the Upper Valley Business Alliance—to discuss visitor management strategies and share insights on best practices in tourism development.
Highlights included conversations with municipal leaders in Canaan, Enfield, Hanover and Lebanon, a behind-the-scenes look at community ski areas like Storrs Hill and exploring the historic and cultural assets of New Hampshire and Vermont. The exchange offered a chance for both the hosts and visitors to identify strengths and opportunities for enhancing their visitor economies. By bringing together peers from different states, the project—led by UNH Cooperative Extension, West Virginia University, the University of Vermont, Penn State, and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development—aims to spark fresh ideas and foster relationships that strengthen tourism efforts across the Northeast and Appalachia. These kinds of exchanges highlight the power of cross-state collaboration in building vibrant rural economies rooted in natural and cultural assets.
