The travel companies love to quote Thoreau for his quote about autumnal tints when they try to write brochures to appeal to leaf peepers – tourists who travel to marvel at the brilliant show of color that nature comes up with as its last hurrah before shutting down for winter every year.
Foliage tourism is big business in America. Each one of the New England states attracts about half a billion worth of tourism from the leaf peepers every year. At least they did before the recession took hold. More and more states now are beginning to take note of how great business can be in this area. States like Texas and Alabama – not your usual fall color places – are happy to announce their own foliage tourism programs these days.
Of course, it's hardly a great idea for a business to invest much in a natural phenomenon. One stiff rainstorm could sweep through the place and take all the leaves with it. It would put an end to the foliage season in 10 min. And then, even when these things don't happen, it's hardly possible to predict when leaves turn.
Foliage tourism is big business in America. Each one of the New England states attracts about half a billion worth of tourism from the leaf peepers every year. At least they did before the recession took hold. More and more states now are beginning to take note of how great business can be in this area. States like Texas and Alabama – not your usual fall color places – are happy to announce their own foliage tourism programs these days.
Of course, it's hardly a great idea for a business to invest much in a natural phenomenon. One stiff rainstorm could sweep through the place and take all the leaves with it. It would put an end to the foliage season in 10 min. And then, even when these things don't happen, it's hardly possible to predict when leaves turn.