Only the northern third of Vermont’s land mass falls into the “path of totality” for the solar eclipse coming to the region on an upcoming Monday afternoon. But businesses across the state hope to benefit from the visitors expected to flock here, with many small shops preparing for the rare off-season surge starting the weekend before — or sooner.
One of those businesses is the family-owned Vermont Clothing Company based in St. Albans, which is selling special eclipse shirts to commemorate the April 8 event after being nudged by the local chamber of commerce to think about how to capitalize on the tourist traffic.
“Because of the eclipse, all of our established accounts (with other retailers) have ordered to fill their shelves now, so that they’ll be ready in case there truly are tens and tens of thousands of visitors,” said Matt Walker, the owner of the wholesale clothing company.
He had already sold thousands of shirts by mid-March, with more orders coming in.
According to Walker, the clothing company’s sales normally peak around Memorial Day weekend and remain elevated through foliage season. But with the eclipse, he said he is seeing “an extra seasonal pop.”
On the day of the eclipse and the preceding weekend, events will be scattered across the state. Some will be hosted by breweries, including those creating special eclipse beers, such as Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ “black IPA with eclipse hops” or the 14th Star Brewing’s “eclipsed New England IPA.”
“Beer is, you know, a huge part of tourism in Vermont,” said Emma Arian, executive director of the Vermont Beer Association. “From the brewery perspective, it’s just an exciting time to try out a new release beer and to get new customers into the tap rooms.”
The State Treasurer’s Office and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce have high hopes for the additional revenue that could come from an additional wave of tourism.
In a report written by Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, his office projected the eclipse’s economic impact could range from $12.9 million to $51.8 million. That figure is based on an estimation of visitors spending an average of about $250 while visiting Vermont, derived from economic analyzes comparing the economic impact of previous eclipses in other states.
“The economic impact of the total solar eclipse could be significant for Vermont, and the benefits will be greater considering April is generally a slow period for Vermont’s tourism industry,” Pieciak said in a press release.
Although less specific, the state chamber is also bullish.
“With hotels in the path of totality already at 100% occupancy, this surge of visitors is anticipated to generate millions of dollars in economic impact for Vermont,” Amy Spears, the vice president of tourism for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, said in an e-mail.
Part of the uncertainty comes from not knowing exactly how many people to expect. The state has decades of experience with seasonal travelers. Eclipse chasers: not so much. Although Vermont has experienced several partial eclipses over the last century, its most recent total solar eclipse was in 1932.
Although the exact number of people coming to Vermont remains unknown, estimates range from tens of thousands to 160,000 visitors, according to Christine Hinkel Ianni, a spokesperson for the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
According to Spears, this state of fewer than 700,000 residents usually sees some 13 million visitors each year. As the eclipse is happening during a slower period, the visitors are expected to boost the local economy in various sectors.
While established businesses will likely profit from the influx, for some, the eclipse is an opportunity to start passion projects and get to know a unique breed of tourists.
“Our country and our world has a lot of dissent and struggles these days,” said Lynn Luczkowski, a publicist who launched the eclipse-themed website Moon Over Vermont in advance of the big day. “The one thing we can say is we can all look up at the moon and we can look up at the sky and hopefully we’re all moved by it.”
Luczkowski sells apparel and other merchandise on her website, designed by a local artist, and she has been getting orders from all across the state.
Her enthusiasm for the solar event has put her into contact with people who share it, including the noted so-called “umbraphile” Bob Koester. The 91-year-old has traveled around the world to see eclipses and has given a lecture about eclipses at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, which is where Luczkowski met him. According to her, he has seen a total of 11 total solar eclipses in his lifetime.
“People don’t really know what an umbraphile is. It’s an eclipse chaser,” Luczkowski said about selling “umbraphile” shirts.
Her primary interest, she said, is “spreading the love and excitement” about something that many people see only once, if ever.
“It’s honestly not a huge moneymaker, because we’re putting a lot back into it,” Luczkowski said. “But the sales have been pretty brisk, especially as we’re getting closer.”
Tags: extra seasonal pop Vermont businesses dollar signs eclipse traffic
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