By SARA WIDNESS

There was a time when Vermont claimed ownership of the fall foliage tourism business.

From late September to mid-October, households in places like Montpelier were asked through public announcements to open their doors to leaf peepers because there often was literally no room at the inn.

While the spectacular display of Vermont’s autumn finery hasn’t changed, promotions for foliage in neighboring states as far west as Ohio and south to Virginia have made a dent in the number of visitors to Vermont during autumn.

Rooms and meals taxes, one indicator of tourist visits, were down just under $3 million, or nearly four percent, in fall 2008 compared to fall of 2007. Along with increased competition for visitors, this downturn was also attributed to the fall in the value of the Canadian dollar in the U. S., according to Steve Cook, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing.

However, an aggressive state tourism program called Midweek Peak to encourage visitors to come here during weekdays, coupled with the area’s countless attractions in September and October, are meant to stabilize and enhance visitor numbers both regionally and statewide.

It’s important for tourist-related businesses to avail themselves of free promotional opportunities available on the state’s Web site, www.vermontvacation.com, said Cook. He said he hopes businesses will put their own midweek incentive packages on the Web site to augment the state’s promotional efforts. He suggested touting value-added programs, such as midweek deals to stay two nights and get a third night for free, or offering passes to local events.

Cook said the state tries to discourage discounts and noted there’s a perceptual difference between value added and actually reducing the nightly room rate, which would be discounting. For example, giving a third room-night free with a two-night booking enhances the value of the two-night booking in the client’s eyes. At the same time the price point for that room hasn’t been jeopardized.

“We really try to discourage discounts,” he said. “Vermont is not a discount place; we’re not Las Vegas.”

While Vermont has a good hold on visitors ages 55 and up, Cook said he would like to see more younger visitors who come with their children for the first time and afterwards make Vermont vacations a family tradition.

“Our return visitors are our most valuable asset,” he said, noting Web site promotions can help attract the younger and technology-savvy demographic that is already using the Internet to plan their trips.

Also important, he said, is making “the best first impression that we can with a helpful smile and, ‘How may we help you’ outreach.”

He noted other trends: motor coach activity during fall foliage has remained strong, and drive-market visitors–who constitute the bulk of fall visitors – are more weather-sensitive than distant domestic and international visitors, who don’t change or cancel plans based on the weather.

The state’s fall marketing outreach includes promotions on its Web site; in highly trafficked areas of Boston and New York such as commuter subway stations; and radio spots. A September promotion in Yankee magazine also underscores the Midweek Peak message.

The state is always seeking partners for both domestic and international promotions, said Cook. He suggested interested parties visit www.vermontpartners.org to sign up for a newsletter that outlines upcoming opportunities. These partnerships, he said, can include business development concerns.

“Some of the biggest success stories of businesses starting in Vermont stem from people falling in love with the state after coming on a ski or other vacation,” he said.

Regional autumn highlights

Autumn will enter with a bang in Addison County with the Vergennes Haunted Forest on October 17 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and a Pumpkins in the Park festival scheduled for October 24, said Sue Hoxie, marketing and communications director of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce.

The Better Middlebury Partnership will host an October 24 Spooktacular that starts at 3:30 p.m. on the Middlebury Town Green. For more details, visit www.addisoncounty.com and www.middbiz.org.

Leave it to Brandon, possibly the most arts-focused town in Vermont, to come up with a festival to create scarecrows. On October 3, folks can gather in the park at 10 a.m. to stuff and dress scarecrows during HarvestFest. The town band will perform, and there will be hay rides and offerings of pumpkins and apple pies. On the evening of October 10, the Brandon Artists’ Guild will present “Starring Brandon,” a gala evening event in the Brandon Town Hall. For details, please see www.brandonartistsguild.org.

Brandon also will get a boost this year by opening an important slice of history to the public during Labor Day weekend. This is the recently renovated birthplace of Stephen A. Douglas, which was built in 1802 and is now a museum and visitor center, said Janet Mondlak of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce. The museum will document Brandon’s history and the role of Douglas in the abolition movement leading up to the Civil War. For more details, visit www.brandon.org.

Phil Black, president of the Killington Chamber of Commerce, said Vermonters and visitors alike can enjoy a Hay Fest from Labor Day weekend through November. The display is offered by about 20 businesses that collaborate in the design of 20-feet-high creatures fabricated from bales weighing up to 1,200 pounds.

“I’ve never seen more people stop and take pictures,” he said of last year’s event. He also noted the October 3 Brewfest is a “huge, huge” tented event of beer tastings, food and music at Killington. Following is the Columbus Day Weekend Ski Swap with bargains for all ages.

For more details, visit www.killingtonchamber.com.

Beth Meachem, director of visitor and member services for the Manchester and the Mountains Chamber of Commerce, said the Vermont Art Council’s “The Art of Action” is scheduled to open in Manchester September 1 for two weeks before touring 24 Vermont communities. This is an initiative of the Vermont Country Store’s Lyman Orton, who invited 300 artists to share their vision of a future Vermont. Ten artists were selected for the touring exhibit. Music and art-related readings and presentations will also take place September 4 at Manchester Depot. For details, visit www.vermontartscouncil.org and www.manchestervt.net.

Other regional highlights include the Fall Crafts Festival at Hildene Meadowlands in Manchester October 2-4; the 51st annual Weston Antiques Show October 2-3 and the 26th annual Weston Craft Show, included in the top 10 list of Vermont Chamber of Commerce 2009 events, on October 9-11.