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The Working Waterfront

Another good year for maine tourism, state reports $8.6 billion in spending.

Maine’s tourism economy rarely seems to enjoy a normal year. Factors such as fluctuating gas prices and airline fares, terrorist attacks, and pandemics play their part in either inflating or deflating visitation.

But despite these variables, the numbers make the case that tourism remains a major economic sector in the state. Beyond spending by visitors, tourism officials are now drawing links between those visiting and other economic challenges, such as an aging population and shrinking work force, with the tourism draw holding potential to ease those demographic burdens.

At the annual Governor’s Tourism Conference in Bangor on March 28, officials reported that visitation in 2022 was down slightly from the previous year—from 15.6 million to 15.3 million. But spending was up, from $7.8 billion to $8.4 billion, no doubt tied to broad inflation.

That typical visitor is a college graduate (77%), married or in a domestic partnership (76%), and has an annual household income of $89,100.

That spending supports 151,000 jobs, officials said, contributing $5.6 billion in earnings to Maine households. Restaurant and lodging taxes paid by tourists reduced the tax burden to Maine households by $2,172.

Given the variables in a very competitive environment, the Maine Office of Tourism works on adjusting its marketing strategies to match ever-changing trends. One constant buoying Maine’s tourism is the rate at which visitors return.

“Their interest in coming back is significantly higher than in other regions,” said Heather Johnson, commissioner of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, which includes the Maine Office of Tourism. Research showed that last year, 32% of visitors had been to Maine more than ten times, and 91% surveyed in 2022 said they would return.

Johnson suggested tourism might be linked to the state’s recent in-migration rate, which was higher last year than any of the other New England states and seventh-highest in the U.S.

With a statewide unemployment rate of just 2.8%, Johnson said, attracting visitors who might become residents is critical to keeping the economy humming.

A couple of themes emerging in the data presented about the industry were the need to appeal to a more diverse population, and that key draws are Maine’s status as a safe, low-crime state with charming downtowns.

“People feel safe to come here and find their futures here,” Johnson said.

How people travel is evolving, she added, and the state’s 2023 tourism marketing plan reflected those changes by adding technical assistance for businesses.

Steve Lyons, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, described 2022 as “a good year,” but a year of transition as the state moved past the COVID pandemic.

In her remarks, Gov. Janet Mills praised the industry—about 350 attended the conference at the Cross Insurance Center—for working to maintain the state’s status as a destination.

“You all worked hard to protect Maine’s reputation as a state to visit,” she said. “You are the face of Maine, making people fall in love with Vacationland.”

Some 47% of visitors surveyed said they noticed the office’s paid advertising with 28% of those reporting they were influenced to visit by those ads, a 9% uptick from the previous year.

Lyons said research showed tourists visit multiple regions in Maine, but 35% said they visited the Midcoast region and islands, 27% visited Greater Portland and Casco Bay, 27% named Maine beaches, and 25% listed Downeast and Acadia. Other survey data showed that the top reasons given for visiting Maine were to relax and unwind (34%), sightseeing and touring (31%), and visiting family and friends (26%).

Data presented by Downs & St. Germain, a research firm contracted by the Maine Office of Tourism, showed that travel to Maine by those from outside the U.S. grew by 5% over 2021.

Maine residents traveling 50 or more miles for pleasure are considered tourists in the research, and so 19% of tourists started their journeys in the state. Residents of the other New England states accounted for 32% of visitors (14% from Massachusetts), 20% came from the Mid-Atlantic region, 10% from the Southeast U.S., and 4% from Canada.

Emerging markets include Florida, and the Chicago and Atlanta metropolitan areas, which likely would mean those visitors would come by air. Currently, 85% drive to Maine, with just 5% traveling through Portland International Jetport.

Demographic profiling showed that the typical Maine visitor is 49 years old, female (55%), and white (89%). That typical visitor is a college graduate (77%), married or in a domestic partnership (76%), and has an annual household income of $89,100.

Food and drink were cited by 74% as a top activity, followed by touring and sightseeing (53%), and shopping (50%).

Other key numbers from 2022 reported by Downs & St. Germain include:

• Room occupancy rate—56.1% (up 13.6% from 2021) • Average daily room rate—$197.84 (up 35.2% from 2021) • 69% of visitors started planning their trip 51 days in advance • 66% of visitors considered visiting only Maine (down 6% from 2021) • Of the 47% who noticed advertising, the top sources were social media (39%), internet (35%), and magazine (21%) • Typical Maine visitor traveled with 2.9 people in party • 18% traveled with at least one person under the age of 18 • Typical visitors stayed 4.6 nights

Among those honored by the Maine Office of Tourism at the conference were Paul Coulombe, a Lewiston native who sold his White Rock Distilleries in 2012 for $600 million. Coulombe honored with the Governor’s Award for Tourism Excellence for his development and philanthropy work in Boothbay Harbor and Southport.

Also honored were: • the Schoodic National Scenic Byway committee with the innovative and creative award for developing children-centered signage along the route • Husson University’s School of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management with the leadership and growth award • Maine Craft Weekend with the collaboration award.

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Maine’s tourism industry rebounds from pandemic, but challenges remain

More than 15 million visitors came to Maine last year, and spending ballooned to more than $7 billion.

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Tourists fill a sidewalk in Old Orchard Beach last July. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Maine’s tourism industry recovered from pandemic doldrums last year, with huge numbers of summer visitors and a billion dollars more in spending than two years prior.

Even with near-record visitation and massive spending, Maine’s critical summer tourism economy faces headwinds in the form of persistent workforce challenges that could hobble future growth.

More than 15.6 million visitors came to Maine in 2021, a third more than made the trip the year before, when pandemic travel and business restrictions curbed tourism. Despite the rebound, about a million fewer people came to the state compared to 2019, the pre-pandemic benchmark. The Maine Office of Tourism reported the 2021 visitation statistics at the state’s annual tourism conference in Portland on Thursday.

Even if visitors were thinner on the ground than in previous years, they came with cash to burn. Direct tourism spending was $7.8 billion, more than a billion dollars more than the record set in 2019 , according to the tourism office’s visitor survey research.

Maine tourism shrank 27% in 2020, hampered by pandemic restrictions

The numbers underline a positive “slow travel” trend that might encourage fewer overall visitors to take their time on vacation and deeply engage in local economies.

“Our goal is to get people to come here and stay longer,” said Steve Lyons, director of the tourism office. Advertisement

Typical overnight visitors spent almost six nights in the state last year, according to visitor research. In 2019, the average traveling party spent fewer than four nights in Maine. Getting fewer people to stay longer is a sustainable approach for local museums, restaurants, entertainment venues and other businesses, Lyons said.

“If there are fewer people taking their time to do all these things, they’re spending more money and patronizing all these sort of businesses,” he said.

Last year hospitality establishments reported surging business as visitors flooded back into the state. Hotels and vacation homes booked months in advance for summer weekends, and people stayed longer into autumn than in years before.

Elevated tourism spending is the product of intense demand, not inflation, said Matt Lewis, CEO of the HospitalityMaine trade group. From early discussions he’s had with members, there’s no indication spending will slow this year.

“Bookings are at an all-time high, and daily rates are soaring,” Lewis said. “I don’t see any reason that we wouldn’t be on track to exceed 2021.”

Despite rosy projections, a persistent, years-old labor challenge could hobble further tourism growth. Maine’s summer hospitality businesses, clustered along the coast, have long struggled to hire enough local workers and typically rely on foreign labor to cover staffing gaps . Advertisement

Maine summer tourism relies on foreign student labor. But not last year.

Last year many restaurants were forced to cut back hours or only open part of the week , even at the peak of the summer. In some cases, service suffered as patrons had lengthy waits for a dinner table, drink at the bar or takeout lobster roll. Office of Tourism researchers tracked a small but noticeable dip in visitor satisfaction during surveys last fall, mostly related to customer service that did not meet expectations.

“I honestly think visitation and spending would have been higher if we had the workforce to accommodate it,” said Maine Tourism Association CEO Tony Cameron. “We need to get the workforce in place and provide the service and experience visitors expect.”

Gov. Janet Mills highlighted seasonal labor problems in remarks at the conference Thursday. She noted her administration’s investment in housing and child care to help grow the state’s workforce.

“My administration is focusing on the root causes that are contributing to our workforce problem,” she said.

Mills also congratulated the state’s industry for making safety and health a priority over the last two years, noting the efforts helped convince people to not just visit but move to the state permanently.

“You all worked hard to present Maine as a safe destination during the pandemic, and it shows,” Mills said.

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Maine tourism shrank 27% last year, hampered by pandemic restrictions

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The outlook and impacts for Maine's summer tourist season

Maine’s tourism industry has seen extreme dips and surges during the past two pandemic summers. We’ll find out how this summer is going so far at hotels, restaurants, parks, beaches and other destinations across the state—and what it means for Maine’s economy.

Panelists: Matt Lewis , president, HospitalityMaine Steve Lyons , director, Maine Office of Tourisim

VIP Callers: Alf Anderson , executive director, Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Lynn Tillotson , president & CEO, Visit Portland Matthew Levin , director of hotels, BayView Collection Jacob Pelkey , tourism developer, Aroostook County Tourism

Tourism Research + Statistics

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Economic Impact

In 2023, Greater Portland & Casco Bay saw visitors spending over $2.7 billion , supporting 21,400 jobs , and contributing nearly $1 billion in earnings to households. Every 136 visitors supports a new job in the region. Visitors also saved each household $2,174  in state and local taxes in 2023.

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Vacation planner, "i am maine tourism".

The Maine Tourism Association has launched the second generation of the “I Am Maine Tourism” campaign highlighting Maine's largest industry and the positive impact a strong tourism economy has on all sectors of Maine's economy. In this new series there are six 30-second spots each highlighting a different type of tourism job, from hotel management, to chef, to guide services, to education, plus a three-minute compilation video.

According to a U.S. Travel Association report, nearly 40 percent of workers whose first job was in the travel industry reached an annual career salary of more than $100,000 and one-third of Americans who started in travel achieved a bachelor’s degree. Tourism supports nearly 107,000 jobs in Maine. Household income generated through jobs supported by tourism was over $2.5 billion. Total taxes generated from tourism was nearly $600 million. (Maine Office of Tourism, 2017)

Maine Tourism Works- Compilation from Maine Tourism Association on Vimeo .

In 2017 The Maine Tourism Association launched a new campaign highlighting Maine’s largest industry and the positive impact a strong tourism economy has on all sectors of Maine’s economy. The campaign, I Am Maine Tourism, features seven video spots with individuals from seven diverse backgrounds telling in their own words how tourism plays an important role in their profession and business.

The videos feature a marine retailer, a superintendent of schools, a real estate agent, a car salesperson, a farmer, a hardware store owner, and a landscaper – all professions not normally associated with tourism but that all benefit from revenue generated from the tourism industry. According to 2017 statistics from the Maine Office of Tourism, tourism supports nearly 107,000 jobs in Maine, roughly 16 percent of employment in the state and greater than the populations of Portland and Augusta combined. Household income generated through jobs supported by tourism was more than $2.5 billion.

"I AM MAINE TOURISM" Compilation from Maine Tourism Association on Vimeo .

At the request of Maine Tourism Association  U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Senator Angus King have recorded video messages highlighting the importance of the tourism industry in Maine.

Senators King and Collins understand how crucial tourism employees are to Maine’s economy and were eager to lend their names to Maine Tourism Associations efforts to boost the profile of tourism. They know that we face workforce challenges and part of the solution is ensure that everyone knows that tourism is a top industry in Maine and it creates not only good-paying jobs, but careers. 

Senator King on the importance of Maine tourism from Maine Tourism Association on Vimeo .

Senator Collins and Maine Tourism from Maine Tourism Association on Vimeo .

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