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Posts Tagged ‘Victoria Cimino’

New Hampshire – Canada Trade Council Hosting Business Development Forum 10/27

Tuesday, October 17th, 2017

A day-long business forum aimed at strengthening ties between New Hampshire and Canada and encouraging companies there to expand over the border is planned for Oct. 27 at the Mountain View Grand.

The New Hampshire – Canada Business Development Forum is organized by the New Hampshire-Canada Trade Council and the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. With 2016 exports valued at over $500 million, Canada is the state’s largest trading partner.

The forum will include a discussion about North American Free Trade Agreement negotiation, with speakers David Alward, Canadian Consul General to New England, and former representative Mary Estelle Ryckman of the Office of US Trade; US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, member of the Foreign Relations Committee, has also been invited to speak.

Victoria Cimino, director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development; Dr. Katherine Harrington of Plymouth State University’s Bienvenue project and University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Todd Leach head a panel discussion about promoting the state’s cultural and natural resources.

The economic opportunities the state offers to Canadians will be discussed by panelists Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the BEA; Marie-Josee Vaillant of Kheops International, Colebrook, and Michel Pariseau of the Department of Homeland Security.

The event, which is being held at the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield, is free, but space is limited. Register here before Oct. 23.

 

 

VisitNH.gov Honored as One of the World’s Top 25 Tourism Board Websites

Wednesday, August 9th, 2017

The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development’s website, VisitNH.gov, is one of the top 25 tourism board websites in the world for 2017, according to Skift, the travel industry’s largest intelligence platform. The selection highlighted VisitNH.gov for its captivating photos and video, as well as its trip inspiration generator function.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by Skift for our innovative and engaging website that has become an essential tool for travelers visiting New Hampshire,” said Victoria Cimino, director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development. “We understand competition for tourism dollars is at an all-time high and have responded by implementing the latest technology across the division’s marketing efforts, including VisitNH.gov. The website design, and particularly the trip inspiration generator, is a major component of DTTD’s long-term strategy for delivering personalized experiences for travelers.”

Skift highlighted DTTD’s “compelling video that plays when travelers first enter the site.” In addition, Skift points out the trip inspiration generator, in which travelers can “take a three-question survey that curates recommendations based on what kind of vacation they want to have.”

VisitNH.gov also features a rotating gallery of travelers’ Instagram photos, which “helps travelers imagine themselves visiting these places,” according to Skift.

DTTD worked with its marketing agency, GYK Antler, and interactive partner, SilverTech, to develop the engaging and interactive design and execution for the website. The most recent iteration of the site was unveiled in May 2017, highlighting DTTD’s summer marketing campaign featuring New Hampshire’s “limitless” summertime activities, destinations and events.

“We have been working with DTTD to develop and highlight the content that most resonates with the travelers we want to attract again and again,” said Travis York, president and CEO of GYK Antler. “When we have a phenomenal product to feature, as we do in the case of New Hampshire as a tourism destination, it makes it considerably easier for us to create compelling, impactful content that engages the user.”

In compiling the 2017 list, Skift prioritized “websites with the best user experience overall, especially on mobile; the most modern modular layout, seamless navigation and impactful visuals, and the most nuanced multi-format storytelling.”

“Our major emphasis was ensuring VisitNH.gov was easy to use, intuitive and engaging,” said Nick Soggu, president and CEO of SilverTech. “In implementing the trip inspiration generator function, we are creating an interactive experience that also allows us to build out personalized experiences for users.”

Summer Comes Knocking on New Hampshire’s Door This Weekend; Great Economy, Low Gas Prices Favorable Factors For Growth

Thursday, May 26th, 2016
LorentzCiminoCail

Carmen Lorentz, left, Vicki Cimino, Ken Cail before this week’s New Hampshire Business Matters on WTPL-FM, where Cimino talked about this summer’s visitor forecast. Listen here.

Memorial Day holiday weekend, the unofficial kick-off to summer, is predicted to begin a record setting summer tourism season in New Hampshire. More than 600,000 people are expected to visit the state this weekend, spending approximately $95 million, 5 percent above last year.

The growth is forecast to continue through the summer, with the number of travelers expected to reach 16.5 million, a 6 percent increase from 2015.  They are expected to spend an estimated $2.16 billion, 4 percent more than last summer.  According to the Institute for New Hampshire Studies, a favorable regional economy and lower gas prices are two factors helping fuel the anticipated increases.

Visitors to New Hampshire this summer will come from New England and the mid-Atlantic states.  The central and eastern regions of Canada remain important secondary markets for New Hampshire.  The months of June, July and August are the busiest of any three-month travel season in New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development last week kicked off the state’s summer promotion campaign, which inspires visitors to Live Free while seeking new adventures, such as surfing, ATVing, mountain biking, kayaking and whitewater rafting. The campaign is aimed at travelers in Boston, New York, Quebec and Ontario and includes a mix of new television commercials, and transit, digital and print advertising. View the commercials on VisitNH’s YouTube channel.