By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
LACONIA – The 102nd Laconia Motorcycle Week is coming up June 14-22 and it could be a real indicator of where Canadian travel stands for the summer season.
Canadians are mad.
Following the second election of President Donald J. Trump who immediately entered office to raise tariffs against the neighboring countries, including Canada, and continues to call for it to become the “51st” state is having an impact on tourism that was felt at one of the top three bike rallies in the nation, Daytona, in March.
Business was down as much as 24 percent overall, using Placer.ai which uses location intelligence from cell phones to count visitors.
It did not break down by nationality but it was particularly noticeable that there were not the normal Canadian visitors, said Charlie St. Clair, who has promoted the rally for decades both domestically and in Canada. He is a Democratic state legislator for Laconia.
“We’re keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best but early indicators are not good,” he said. Tariffs and other talk considered condescending by Trump have left a sour taste in the mouths of many regular tourists that the state counts on to fuel the second largest sector of the economy.
Of particular areas of concern are Hampton, Conway and the Lakes Region tourist areas that are mostly rural and seasonal with tourism the focus.
Canadian cancellations for Bike Week are happening with high-end hoteliers to campgrounds feeling the effect of the political landscape which has changed since last Bike Week.
Restaurants, and other travel-related businesses in the Mount Washington Valley, Seacoast and the Lakes Region will be watching their bookings closely to see whether it appears to be Quebec license plates in the drive.
Campgrounds are hoping that projections for a lot more local travel with eyes on affordability could help this coming rally to be a total blow-out success.
St. Clair said even during COVID-19 when the rally was moved from the traditional June to August, Canadian business and business in general was good.
But Daytona, Florida took a hit and that is not a good sign, he said.
The Daytona Beach News Journal reported in March that based on cell phone tracking data, its bike week was down as much as 24 percent in key sectors https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2025/03/17/daytona-bike-week-2025-attendance-down-based-on-cellphone-tracking/82402092007/. That 10-day event normally draws about 400,000.
Almost as a rite of summer for the Lakes Region for decades, though no solid data on visitor numbers exist, June brings with it throngs of leather-clad visitors who roam the state on mostly rumbling Harley-Davidsons for Bike Week. They come from all over to roam over covered bridges up mountains and along shore lines and head to “ground zero” Weirs Beach to see all the chrome on display. There they can mingle, shop, eat and party among old friends and visitors on the boardwalk overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee.
It’s important to the state’s economy, said St.Clair, and comes at a time before the big throng of summer.
“It is not a cheap event to come to,” with thousands of dollars being pumped into the state’s economy by those spending big on travel.
On the rally’s website, which shows links to lodging options for the Lakes Region, Merrimack Valley, White Mountains and the Seacoast, places to stay for the entire June 14-22 are running about $2,500. That does not include food, gas money, entertainment and other expenses each visitor pays.
TOURISM PROJECTIONS FOR SUMMER
State tourism officials gathered last week to announce they expect the summer travel season to be similar to last year with 4.6 million visitors spending slightly below $2.6 billion.
They said the state will have a presence in its core markets of New England and eastern New York; road trip market of Eastern Pennsylvania; and Greater Montreal in Canada.
In April, a campaign launched in Canadian markets to attract visitors back to New Hampshire.
BIKE WEEK
RECURRING EVENTS
As the rally draws closer, hoteliers may have a better reading on where things stand but it might be an opportunity for others to backfill cancelled reservations.
The following is a list of recurring events planned mostly in Laconia’s Weirs Beach area if not otherwise mentioned.
Rally Headquarters Open: Weirs Beach Boardwalk, 8am–9pm.
Live Music at the NazBar & Grill: Naswa Resort, Open 11am–close.
Tower Hill Tavern: Live Music & Special Events all week!
New England Racing Museum OPEN from 10am to 4pm on weekends!
The Big House: Live Music and events all week!
Sucker Punch Saloon behind Tower Hill Tavern: Live music all week!
Weirs Beach Drive-In: Live Music & Entertainment Tent ALL WEEK!
High Octane Saloon: Live music and events ALL week!
H.O.G. Pin Stop at NH Motor Speedway. June 14th-21st from 10am to 5pm.
Biker Build-Off at the High Octane Saloon. Each day starts at 12pm.
T-Shirt Contests daily at High Octane Saloon at 3pm, 5pm, & 7pm.
Saturday to Saturday: Demo Rides at NHMS: Katancha & Harley-Davidson host the largest demo ride course in the area along with a vendor mall & food court, 14th-21st from 10am to 5pm (S1 Lot). Demo ride registration ends at 4:30pm daily. Check out the top manufacturers in the world such as, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Kawasaki, BMW, & Indian!
Cornerstone Outreach Ministries: Safety food stop. Route 9, 24hr/8 days, 603-352-2616.
Free Coffee House: White Church, Tower St., Weirs Beach. 9am–8pm.
Biker Build-Off at the High Octane Saloon. Each day starts at 12pm.
The website for the rally is here https://laconiamcweek.com/