By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – Members of the state’s tourism, restaurant and lodging industry got a chance to hear from the two top candidates running for governor Monday about how they would handle leadership on issues of mutual concern if elected on Nov. 5.

Tourism is considered the state’s second largest economy behind manufacturing and for some this year has been hard.

Both former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, the Democratic nominee, and former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, the Republican choice to represent them in the general election, said they would work as partners to help bring visitors to the state, noting the importance of the industry to the state’s economy.

But they had different approaches to their idea of help and spoke openly about their lifelong experiences enjoying regions of the state, both growing up and as adults.

Cynthia Makris, owner of the Naswa Resort in the Weirs Beach section of Laconia was among about 100 tourism leaders who attended the forum.

She said business was down this summer and it was the worst Bike Week she can recall, due to inflation and higher prices.

“They just don’t have the money,” Makris said as she came to hear both candidates speak at the Grappone Center in Concord.

The two candidates did not sit together. The format was for each to have an hour with the same questions posed to them by moderator Scott Spradling.

Craig went first, followed by a break and then Ayotte.

Many of the questions came from the audience who were offered note cards to draft their thoughts and were presented to the moderator who also had questions of his own. 

They dealt with a range of subjects from transportation issues, to finding more of a workforce, housing, taxes and ways to bring down the cost of energy, which is considered among the highest in the nation.

Neither took a single swipe at the other but focused on what their policies would be if elected to the corner office now being vacated by Republican Chris Sununu.

Both said they have valuable experience in leadership from being mayor of the state’s largest city in the experience of Craig, to Ayotte’s experience in Washington.

Both said they would have an open ear and an open door to the industry.

Craig said she hears north country residents feel often left behind compared to other areas of the state and said she would create a cabinet on the region’s issues to help advise her on action she needs to take.

Craig said she would not likely reduce state tourism promotion money as studies have shown it leverages more than seven times each dollar in sales, and that goes to paying the taxes in the state.

Ayotte said she saw her role as providing a regulatory framework which would let businesses thrive and would focus on keeping taxes down.

As governor, she said she would not use state dollars to invest in Electric Vehicle charging stations.

She said the state’s three self-funded agencies, Parks and Recreation, Forests and Lands and Fish and Game struggle to provide camping, hunting, and fishing and some have taken on additional roles.

She said she would not want to raise fees.

“The timing of that would be completely opposite of where we are with families struggling right now,” she said. “However, we also have asked these agencies to do things beyond their area.”

Ayotte said as she looks at the future state budget, if elected she would look to those areas and how they are funded.

Craig said this next state budget is going to be very difficult and “this is going to be what the priorities are and the return on investment. When we are seeing $1 invested with an $8 return, that’s helping the entire state. And so that is going to take a role in my budget that I am looking at from a statewide perspective.”