Visit New Hampshire

Challenges

Built on an earlier version of Kentico, the award-winning VisitNH site has served as the primary hub for attracting visitors to New Hampshire, a state where tourism is one of the largest sources of revenue. 

While the NH Travel and Tourism team was clearly satisfied with the Kentico platform, they maintain an ongoing partnership with long-time partners SilverTech to stay ahead of technological advancements and ensure their website remains competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

In 2024, SilverTech recommended upgrading to Kentico’s new offering, Xperience by Kentico, to benefit from:

• Improved site speed, heightened performance, and enhanced security.
• Significant improvements in user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO).
• The ability to manage everything from a single platform serving as the central source of data.
• An easy-to-use interface for content editors.
• Improved content efficiency and control, with the ability to seamlessly share content across devices, channels, and mediums.
• Enhanced digital experiences, offering better tailored trip planning and industry self-service.
• Designed for future growth and scalability.

Additionally, licensing costs were a key factor, and Xperience by Kentico provided a strong return on investment, meeting the budget constraints typical of state projects.

Solutions

SilverTech has completed five major overhauls of the VisitNH.gov website in the two decades they’ve been partners. Having recommended Kentico to their client ten years ago, neither organization has looked back.

“The site has served the state well. Both the Kentico technology and the SilverTech partnership are key components of New Hampshire's tourism success,” says SilverTech.

Leveraging their expertise in Kentico and a deep understanding of the state’s unique requirements, SilverTech was able to build a customized, robust solution for VisitNH.gov on Xperience by Kentico, including:

• Web parts/widgets: The entire site is managed using a combination of custom and out-of-the-box (OOTB) widgets, allowing content editors full control over page creation and updates without technical expertise.
• Forms: All forms are built using Kentico's form system, with data stored in Kentico. A custom-built reusable widget extends the default form functionality to seamlessly push data to third-party services through an API for CRM capabilities and tracking.
• Custom modules: Custom modules store global, reusable information, such as calls-to-action (CTAs), and manage custom business user data with linked relationships across the site.
• Business user management: Using Kentico's built-in User Management and a custom Data Engine module, administrators can easily manage businesses signing into the site. A custom process ensures new users are approved by administrators before accessing their accounts. Approved businesses can log in to update profiles, create events, and add vacation packages.
• Dynamic personalization: Utilizing Kentico's OOTB geolocation and contact management, the site dynamically adjusts content. For example, the homepage is personalized for users detected from Quebec or other global locations, offering tailored experiences.

This scalable, user-friendly platform ensures that the VisitNH.gov website not only meets the current needs of the state but is also designed for future growth.

Results

The VisitNH.gov website continues to serve as the central hub driving tourism in New Hampshire, contributing significantly to year-round visitor engagement. Research on state tourism numbers supports its impact in attracting new visitors. 

• Autonomy in delivering frequent content updates: The tools developed enable the state to maintain the site without the need for technical staff, allowing them to manage frequent content updates internally despite budget constraints. The site is updated seasonally to drive year-round tourism, with features like the Foliage Tracker for peak fall foliage, along with constantly refreshed videos, itineraries, and other seasonal content.
• Industry partner self-service: Hotels and other partners can log in to update their own information, events, and hours, reducing the burden on the tourism department. This self-service functionality via the Kentico admin area has saved the team significant time over the years[1].
• Central source of data: NH Travel and Tourism aims to use Kentico as a centralized data source, not only for the website but also to push content to kiosks at welcome centers, airports, and other mediums. This headless capability will allow them to update content in one place and share it across multiple platforms efficiently.
• Cost-effective solutions: Kentico offers built-in tools such as social media and email integrations, reducing the need for costly third-party services, making it a budget-friendly option for the tourism team.

Other state divisions, like NH Parks and NH Economy, which also use Kentico, are exploring how to share content seamlessly across divisions. This will enhance collaboration and content efficiency throughout New Hampshire’s government agencies.

The NH Travel and Tourism team is pleased with Kentico, relying on SilverTech to guide their website's roadmap and recommend new Kentico features. They are discussing developing personalized itineraries, augmented reality features, interactive walking tours, and multilingual support to enhance visitor engagement.

By offering unique, customized experiences and tools that go beyond what platforms like Expedia offer, VisitNH can provide visitors with tailored, immersive travel experiences that set the state apart. 

With Xperience by Kentico, these transformative plans are within reach.

Testimonial

Statistics

• Visits to NH Events Calendar increased by 19.7%
• Week over week average engagement time increased by 30%
• Core Web Vitals Score improved 50%