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AUGUSTA — The Maine Office of Tourism is looking forward to another good year for the tourism industry in Maine, amid national reports of optimism for U.S. domestic leisure travel, the office announced.
According to the U.S. Travel Association’s April Travel Outlook, domestic interest in travel within the U.S. is up significantly this year from the 76 percent of domestic searches seen in March of last year.
In March 2018, 84 percent of U.S. residents searching for lodging searched within the U.S.
More than 36 million travelers from the U.S. and Canada visited Maine on tourism-related trips in 2017, an increase in annual visitation of 2.5 percent over 2016.
“Maine tourism visitation increased for the fifth consecutive year in 2017, averaging more than five percent growth each year since 2012,” said Steve Lyons, director of the Maine Office of Tourism. “While we don’t do projections, we are hearing from our industry partners that bookings are strong and we anticipate another good year in 2018.”
Maine has received national accolades in recent years for amenities ranging from Portland’s award-winning food and beverage scene to the unique escapes offered by Maine’s coastal islands to Greenville’s lakeside inns. Diverse lodging statewide, from “glamping” huts, tents, and tree houses to themed boutique hotels to Maine’s traditional family sporting camps, is attracting new and repeat visitors.
While May through August are the strongest months in Maine, when two out of three visitors come, visitation is growing in all seasons. An estimated 26.2 million visitors came to Maine during summer 2017, an increase of 4.5 percent over 2016. Tourism visitation grew by nearly 11 percent during the 2017 winter season (December-April), and increased by 3.5 percent in the 2017 fall season (September-November) over the previous year, following double digit increases in 2015 and 2016, according to state tourist officia.s
“It used to be that Labor Day was considered the end of the Summer tourism season in Maine, but that no longer holds true,” said Lyons. “Maine’s seasonal tourism businesses are staying open through October due to demand, as visitors enjoy our gorgeous fall foliage and autumn outdoor activities. In Maine, Columbus Day has become the new Labor Day in terms of tourism visitation.”
PHOTO: Castle Island Camps, on Long Pond in the Belgrade Lakes Region, is a popular tourist destination. Maine is expected to have another strong summer tourist season, officials say. (Maureen Milliken photo)
