Contoocook, NH — Strong travel demand from the U.S. propelled 20 million American tourists abroad through the first four months of 2015. According to the World Tourism Organization, that’s 7 percent more than that period last year — and the U.S. Postal Service is ready to prepare travelers for such future excursions.

Now is the time to plan that international trip of your dreams. To make it easier to apply for a U.S. Passport, the Contoocook Post Office is hosting a Passport Day with extended hours on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Just stop by the Contoocook Post Office at 129 Park Ave between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 19, no appointment is necessary. The Contoocook Postmaster emphasizes that postal clerks can even take your passport photo if you do not have one.

Postmaster Kelley Selfridge says “With routine passport processing times of four to six weeks, it’s never too early to start planning for that out-of-country trip. And we’re here to help.” The Postmaster cites USPS.com as an excellent resource for getting passport paperwork and locating other acceptance facilities across the nation. 

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm. A complete list of the holiday shipping deadlines can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Postsblog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.