CONCORD — State regulators were critical of work done by a tourism expert hired by Northern Pass Transmission project developer Eversource who concluded the proposal would have no measurable impact on the state’s tourism industry.
Mitch Nichols of Nichols Tourism Group of Bellingham, Wash., found visitors come to New Hampshire because of the diversity of experiences, the ease of access and its affordability, while traffic delays from project construction and visual changes do not drive travel decisions.
Several Site Evaluation Committee members Wednesday said Nichols’s report views the transmission project’s effect on tourism statewide or regionally, but fails to acknowledge the negative impact on individual businesses and entities during construction and after the project’s completion.
Other committee members said Nichols was too quick to dismiss the views of those who believe the $1.6 billion, 192-mile transmission line from Pittsburg to Deerfield will hurt tourism.
Click below to read the full story by Garry Rayno of InDepthNH.org.