Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin says in spite of the wet weather this summer, the state is still open for tourism.
The steady rain since Memorial Day has affected an otherwise robust summer season in Vermont. Last year, for example, state parks saw about 920,000 visitors, a number that has dropped about 25 percent this year so far.
Governor Shumlin, joined by tourism officials in Burlington on Monday, said the season has been tough on weather-dependent businesses, but shops and restaurants are open and festivals are being held.
Visitor spending is important to the state's economy, generating $274.5 million in tax and fee revenue for Vermont in 2011.
The Department of Tourism and Marketing is hoping to boost visitor numbers by expanding advertising into the Washington DC and Philadelphia markets for the first time in nine years.
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