The 2024 Solar Eclipse is coming...
Greater Burlington will be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on Tuesday, April 8, 2024. This means that for a period of about three minutes and fifteen seconds, the sun will be almost completely obscured as the moon passes in front of it. This is a significant natural phenomenon that happens, on average, about every 370 years for any given spot on the earth. It’s also a significant cultural event that historically brings a high volume of passionate eclipse enthusiasts with each occurrence, many of whom stay multiple days at a time in destinations that are inside the path of totality.
Start of Eclipse – 2:14 pm
Start of Totality – 3:26:08
Maximum Eclipse- 3:27:45
End of Totality – 3:29:22
End of Eclipse – 4:37:20
Based on the experience of other destinations in recent years, we expect to see a large volume of visitors to the region in the days before, during and after the event. With this in mind, the Lake Champlain Chamber is encouraging cities, towns, and businesses in the region to plan accordingly.
Hosting public viewing events and activities can help to ensure that visitors and residents alike are able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event without any risks to public safety. Taking a deliberate, intentional approach will bring viewers where you want them to be, rather than having them wander onto public spaces that may not be suitable for heavy, springtime foot traffic or onto private land that is not open to the public.
Hosting public events can also mitigate against subpar visitor and resident experiences in the event that the weather does not provide optimal eclipse viewing conditions. Even if the day is overcast, people can still attend concerts, festivals, and educational activities. Word of mouth can be a powerful marketing tool. Tourism is the state’s second largest economic engine and the last thing it needs is disappointed viewers returning home to complain about their experience in Vermont.
Some Things to Keep In Mind:
- Municipalities may want to restrict access to public spaces that are not ready for foot traffic, or could be potentially hazardous to eclipse viewers.
- Municipalities should ensure that emergency service departments are aware that they’re likely to see a higher volume of visitor traffic than is usual for that time of year.
- Businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector, should expect to see a high volume of visitor traffic. In particular, restaurants that may not normally be open on Monday and Tuesday may want to adjust their schedule.
- Lodging properties may want to require multi-night stays for their reservations and plan in advance for high demand.
- Lodging properties may want to adjust their cancellation windows to avoid late cancellations due to inclement weather.
- Private landowners with large, open spaces may want to post their land accordingly if they wish to avoid any unwanted viewers.
For More Information Contact:
Jeff Lawson – Hello Burlington
Direct: 802-863-3489, ext. 230