This bill mandates the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, specifically the Director of Travel and Tourism Development, to quantitatively assess the return on investment (ROI) of tourism expenditures as a measure of program effectiveness. The bill amends RSA 12-O:15, VI to require the department to conduct research that not only measures the effectiveness of promotional programs but also provides an estimated ROI for all promotional programs exceeding $10,000, along with an explanation of how the ROI was calculated. Additionally, it amends RSA 12-O:16, II to require the commissioner to include the effectiveness and ROI of these promotional programs in the annual report presented to various government officials.

The fiscal impact of the bill indicates that it does not provide funding, but it is estimated to incur costs between $350,000 to $500,000 per year for the necessary research and analysis to evaluate tourism program effectiveness. This cost cannot be absorbed within the existing budget of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, which previously contracted similar services at approximately $300,000 per year. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 12-O:15, 12-O:16
HB1626 text: 12-O:15, 12-O:16