Dazzling Ice Castles Draw Tourists to New Hampshire, Other States

 Colorful lights shine inside inside the walls of ice at Ice Castles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP)
Colorful lights shine inside inside the walls of ice at Ice Castles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP)
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Dazzling Ice Castles Draw Tourists to New Hampshire, Other States

 Colorful lights shine inside inside the walls of ice at Ice Castles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP)
Colorful lights shine inside inside the walls of ice at Ice Castles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in North Woodstock, N.H. (AP)

An annual architectural celebration of ice is up and running again in New Hampshire and several other US states.

Ice Castles, which are both temporary art installations and tourist attractions, feature towers, tunnels, archways and caves, all created by growing, harvesting and arranging thousands of icicles and then blasting them with sprinklers.

The company behind the displays has expanded since its first installation in 2011. This year it has operations in Utah, Minnesota, two locations in Colorado and New Hampshire, where the site includes a snow tubing hill and ice bar. After a mild winter last year, officials were thrilled that temperatures were cold enough to open earlier this season.

"It's one of the biggest ice castles we've ever built," said Jared Henningsen, the company’s vice president for operations. "We're looking at about 25 million pounds of ice spread over two acres."

As a winter storm brought biting cold and wet snow to the South, visitors to the New Hampshire castle bundled up to explore its twists and turns Friday.

Julia Jones of Gloucester, Massachusetts, said she travels to northern New Hampshire several times a year but had not experienced the ice castles until her opening-day visit.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she said. "Honestly I didn't think it was gonna be this big."

Jessica Sullivan, of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, also was surprised, and not just by the frozen environment. Her boyfriend, Brian Jacques, proposed to her during their visit.

"It's a beautiful place," said Jacques, who got the "yes" he was hoping for. "I definitely thought, this is the time and place to do it."

By day the walls and other structures shine with a pale blue hue. After darkness falls, lights embedded within the ice glow pink, purple and green.

"Once you enter into an ice castle, you're transitioning into something that's totally immersive and unlike something that most guests have ever seen," Henningsen said. "I think it inspires people."



Japanese Tourist Hotspot Kyoto to Hike Hotel Taxes

Tourists walk through the streets by Yasaka Pagoda (behind) during a visit to the city of Kyoto on January 13, 2025. (Photo by PAUL MILLER / AFP)
Tourists walk through the streets by Yasaka Pagoda (behind) during a visit to the city of Kyoto on January 13, 2025. (Photo by PAUL MILLER / AFP)
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Japanese Tourist Hotspot Kyoto to Hike Hotel Taxes

Tourists walk through the streets by Yasaka Pagoda (behind) during a visit to the city of Kyoto on January 13, 2025. (Photo by PAUL MILLER / AFP)
Tourists walk through the streets by Yasaka Pagoda (behind) during a visit to the city of Kyoto on January 13, 2025. (Photo by PAUL MILLER / AFP)

Authorities in Kyoto announced Tuesday plans for a big hike in hotel lodging taxes, as Japan's picture-perfect ancient capital seeks to assuage grumbles from locals about too many tourists.

Japan has seen foreign tourist numbers explode post-pandemic, with visitor numbers in 2024 expected to have hit a record of more than 35 million.

But like other hotspots worldwide such as Venice or Maya Bay in Thailand, this is not universally welcome -- in particular in tradition-steeped Kyoto, famed for its kimono-clad geisha performers and Buddhist temples.

For rooms in Kyoto priced at 20,000-50,000 yen ($127-317) per night, visitors will see their tax double to 1,000 yen ($6.35) per person per night, under the plans announced Tuesday, AFP reported.

For accommodation over 100,000 yen per night it will soar tenfold to 10,000 yen. The new levies will take effect next year, subject to approval from the city assembly.

"We intend to hike accommodation tax to realize 'sustainable tourism' with a high level of satisfaction for citizens, tourists and businesses," a statement said.

From Tokyo to Osaka and Fukuoka, major metropolises already levy tourists a few hundred yen per night for accommodation.

Kyoto residents have complained of tourists harassing the geisha like paparazzi in their frenzy for photos to wow their Instagram followers.

According to a recent survey, Kyoto residents are also unhappy about traffic congestion and misbehavior by travelers.

Authorities have also taken steps beyond Kyoto, including introducing an entry fee and a daily cap on the number of hikers climbing the famous Mount Fuji.

This appeared to work, with preliminary figures showing the number of climbers down by 14 percent in the summer hiking season from July to September last year.

Last year a barrier was briefly erected outside a convenience store with a spectacular view of Mount Fuji that had become a magnet for photo-hungry visitors.