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STATE OF MAINE TOURISM PARTNER NEWS

HIGHLIGHTS

As Maine enters our peak travel season, U.S. Travel Association research reports that Maine’s tourism industry leads nationally in recovery from impacts from the pandemic. According to the association’s Recovery Dashboard, tourism in Maine was up 25% in the first five months of 2022 over the same period in 2019, with visitor spending up 18% in May 2022 over May 2019. Following Maine was Montana, with spending up 16% and Vermont with spending up 12% in May 2022 over May 2019.

The latest U.S. Travel Forecast projects that all segments of travel, in spite of rising inflation, will thrive in the short term due to pent-up demand and consumer savings.

Key take-aways -

• Despite inflation, travel demand remains strong as consumers shift spending from goods to services
• Six in 10 Americans plan to travel this summer, up from five in 10 last summer and 35% plan to travel MORE this summer than last
• Domestic business travel is finally picking up and volume is expected to reach 81% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
• International inbound travel is making a big comeback, aided by the recent elimination of pre-departure testing. It is projected to grow rapidly through the rest of 2022, and then grow at a slower pace in 2023-2026.



MARKETING

The Maine Office of Tourism has awarded $1.68 million in grants for the Spring 2022 grant cycle of the Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program (MTMPP).

Maine’s eight regional destination marketing organizations will each receive $200,000 grants for fiscal year 2023.

Four community projects will each receive $2,500 Maine Communities Grants. Recipients are -

-         Maine College of Art & Design

-         Denmark Arts Center

-         Bangor Celtic Crossroads

-         Town of Gray

An additional $73,500 has been awarded to support eight Tourism Enterprise Marketing projects. Recipients are -

-         Creative Portland - $10,000

-         City of Caribou - $10,000

-         Destination Moosehead Lake - $10,000

-         Heart of Ellsworth - $10,000

-         Mayo Street Arts - $10,000

-         Pejepscot Historical Society - $7,500

-         Main Street Skowhegan - $6,000

-         Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters - $10,000

For more information about MTMPP grants visit MOTPartners.com.

MAINE IN THE NEWS

Recent coverage for Maine travel resulting from the Office of Tourism’s public relations program includes:

• Where to Travel Next: Conde Nast Hot List - Conde Nast Traveler
• How To Spend A Long Weekend in Maine  - Michelin Guide
• Road tripping from Portland to Bar Harbor – Travel Guide Canada

If you have information regarding new restaurants, attractions, services, lodging, etc., for sharing with the media, please send your updates to CWilliams@marshallpr.com

Partner News

Efficiency Maine has launched a $4 million program under the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to help Maine hospitality businesses make energy-efficiency improvements and reduce their energy costs. This initiative is the first of several Efficiency Maine plans to support energy-efficiency upgrades for Maine businesses engaged in travel, tourism, and hospitality, which were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial phase of this initiative prioritizes smaller businesses. To be eligible for the first funding opportunity offered through the program, lodging businesses – hotels, motels, inns, and bed and breakfasts – must have fewer than 100 beds, be located in Maine, and must not be a franchisee of, or owned by, a national or international chain. Restaurants in Maine that are franchisees of, or owned by, a national or international chain also are ineligible. Interested businesses should respond to the Efficiency Maine Hospitality Retrofits Funding Opportunity Notice (FON).

#lovemainewaters - Four water-focused Maine nonprofits, Maine Marine Trades Association, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Friends of Casco Bay, and Maine Island Trail Association are announcing a social media campaign to encourage all people to take responsibility for the health and safety of Maine waters – from inland lakes and rivers, to marine waters on the coast. Their goal is to engage individuals, businesses, and other organizations who use the water to promote shared values on social media with the hashtag, #LoveMaineWaters. The group’s website, lovemainewaters.org, hosts a social media toolkit with logos and succinct messages that water users can download and personalize to post to their own account.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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