Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing Announces
Additional Stay to Stay Weekends featuring Mountain Biking
Montpelier, Vt. — The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) has announced a trio of new Stay to Stay Weekends, an economic development tourism program designed to encourage visitors and potential residents to relocate to Vermont.
The three new weekends, all happening September 13-16, 2019, are Stay to Stay Mountain Bike Weekends. These themed weekends are designed to attract mountain bikers of all skill levels to Vermont so they can explore moving to the state. The towns of Bennington, St. Johnsbury, and Woodstock will be hosting visitors and offering multiple options for rides on local trails.
VDTM partnered with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) and local mountain bike organizations to develop the Stay to Stay Mountain Bike Weekends. The Bennington Area Trails Association, Northshire Area Trails System, Kingdom Trials, and Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association have all arranged rides of varying skill levels for participants to enjoy.
“Our innovative talent attraction programs have inspired more Vermont towns to step forward with enthusiasm in partnering to bring the Stay to Stay Weekends to their community,” said Heather Pelham, Acting Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing. “We are excited to expand the program by featuring Vermont’s tremendous outdoor recreation and biking opportunities. Thousands visit each year to mountain bike in Vermont and now while they are here, they can explore employment opportunities, meet with local community leaders, and experience Vermont’s unparalleled quality of life, as they look to live here full-time.”
“We are thrilled to partner with VDTM in offering individuals the chance to enjoy Vermont’s outstanding and nationally recognized trail system,” said Tom Stuessy, executive director of VMBA. “This is an opportunity for mountain biking enthusiasts to see how they can live and work in the same place where they enjoy world-class biking year-round.”
The three Stay to Stay Mountain Bike Weekends expand upon the program’s successful Stay to Stay Ski Weekends held earlier this year. The Stay to Stay Ski Weekend brought together towns and local ski resorts to entice out-of-state skiers and riders to consider Vermont as a place to live and work. The Stay to Stay Ski weekends were held at Brattleboro/Mount Snow, Manchester/ Bromley, and Rutland/Killington. Ski Weekends will return for the 2019-2020 season.
The 3-day networking weekends are for out-of-state visitors interested in living full-time in Vermont. Weekends begin with a Friday evening reception hosted by a local chamber of commerce or young professional’s network. Saturday and Sunday offer unstructured opportunities to explore the region and get a glimpse into living in the community. On Monday, participants meet with employers, tour the area with a realtor, or visit an incubator/co-working space to meet with entrepreneurs and other professionals.
For more information about the Stay to Stay initiative, visit www.VermontVacation.com/staytostay.
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