(Host) Fall foliage season always brings tourists to Vermont.
But, as VPR’s Nina Keck reports, the warm, sunny weather coupled with a favorable Canadian exchange rate may make this year particularly profitable for Vermont businesses.
(Keck) Tom Donahue of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce says it’s still too early to say how this foliage season will go.
But by Saturday, he expects all of the county’s 4,000 rooms to be booked. And he says Mother Nature is definitely cooperating.
(Donahue) "This year it looks like it’s going to be spectacular. So far it’s coming very early. And the weather forecasts are just tremendous. There is no rain in the forecast for the next ten days, according to the current forecast. What that means to us is that the leaves will stay on the trees, they’ll be lit up by the sunshine. We’re very excited about it and I think people will really be able to appreciate fall foliage in Vermont."
(Keck) Ted Bridges directs business development at Rutland’s Holiday Inn. The weather is definitely a plus. But he says the surge of Canadian tourists is helping, as well.
(Bridges) "Just from my observation – from talking to people and looking at cars in the parking lot here and at other hotels – there’s definitely a lot of Canadians. And I spoke with someone from Burlington the other day and they said it’s really affecting the places up in Burlington."
(Keck) Bridges says five tour buses arrive tonight and, like many hotels, he says they’re basically sold out through the upcoming Columbus Day weekend.
For VPR news, I’m Nina Keck in Rutland.