New Hampshire Local Businesses Undergo a Program for Tourism Promotion

New Hampshire, the state in New England has a great number of French-Canadian tourists visits because of its numerous tourists attractions and of course since it is at the Canadian border. The states' tourism valued the presence of these tourists and from other neighboring country for they had a large part on the state economy. New Hampshire is making efforts to promote more French-Canadian visitors.

The use of highway signs with a French word of welcome had been their first step in welcoming more Québécois visitors. This time, a new program was introduced to boost up tourisms and the local businesses will have a big part on it. According to the Skift, the program is called "Bienvenue New Hampshire", it is originally a school project at the Plymouth State University. The Northern Border Regional Commission had granted $ 55,000 fund for the project.

The Bienvenue New Hampshire is a program that that will teach the state local businesses to create a "Quebec business friendly" environment in New Hampshire. It will also provide different training courses such as building language skills and cultural literacy. French and Canadian language will be taught among the local businesses and an "interactive language workshops" that includes, marketing support and translation services.

Katharine Harrington, a French professor explains applying the said program will bring a great change in New Hampshire and it will be more welcoming environment for the French-Canadian tourists. "New Hampshire has become sort of this pass-through place. We're sort of this unknown state.  "We really are missing out on the majority of the visitors. There are different reasons for that, but there's definitely room for improvement.

French tourists, Jean-Francois Nadeau from Quebec, says the state of New Hampshire is more welcoming enough and there's no need to change anything, like translating menus and brochures. "To be honest, we are happy to leave our French speaking world and change our state of mind completely. That's what keeps us loving and returning to the New England states every year. The important thing is to show us what you've got to offer - and you have a lot - rather than having a 'simulated' French culture." However, the New Hampshire tourism will still implement the program.