Latest news with #MaineTourismAssociation
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine saw more tourists than expected over Memorial Day weekend
May 27—A chilly, wet forecast threatened to dampen Memorial Day weekend travel in Maine, but preliminary numbers from the Maine Turnpike Authority show a few gloomy days weren't enough to keep tourists away. The turnpike recorded more than 1 million vehicle "transactions" between Friday and Monday, putting it on par with recent years. Officials originally predicted fewer than 1 million transactions. Friday was the busiest day, with 343,346 of the 1,008,400 trips. Erin Courtney, turnpike authority spokesperson, said that most travelers at the Kennebunk service plaza on Saturday said they were headed to Acadia National Park. People who booked a trip months ago "are not going to cancel everything based on the weather," she said. "More likely, the folks that live in Maine probably weren't doing as much travel." This year's numbers reflect a slight decrease from 2024's 1,011,200 vehicles, but this year's total could surpass last year's once all the numbers are tallied. Last year, more than 5,000 transactions were added between the preliminary and final counts. Gas prices could have also played a role in better-than-expected turnpike traffic. Nationally, gas prices last weekend were the lowest Memorial Day weekend prices since 2021, and, if adjusted for inflation, the lowest in nearly a decade, according to AAA. Heading into the weekend, Maine had an average price at the pump of $3.05 per gallon, compared to about $3.17 nationally. National gas prices were around $3.59 over the same weekend in 2024 and $4.60 in 2022. The last few years have been "banner" years for Memorial Day weekend travel, Courtney said, but 2019 still holds the record with 1,014,225 vehicles. Traffic plummeted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the turnpike recorded just 564,000 vehicles. It's too soon to say whether the stronger-than-expected traffic numbers will correlate with a booming summer tourist season, but Courtney said that historically, a good season has followed a strong start. "It's pretty encouraging that given a less than ideal forecast, we still had good numbers," she said. Maine's busiest summer communities are gearing up for an uncertain season, as travelers grapple with an unsteady economy and polarizing political climate that could have some Canadian visitors staying home. Tony Cameron, CEO of the Maine Tourism Association, said advanced bookings are tracking closely to last year, with many businesses feeling optimistic. "At the same time, there's an awareness of ongoing uncertainties, and businesses are staying mindful of evolving trends and traveler behavior," he said in an emailed statement. The number of tourists visiting Maine has been declining, though the money they spend has increased. Last year, an estimated 7.75 million travelers visited Maine and spent $5.1 billion, according to the Maine Office of Tourism. That's a 9.1% decrease in visitors but a 9.7% increase in the amount of money spent per traveler compared to the year before. The Maine Office of Tourism launched its 2025 summer campaign early, "knowing that competition for domestic visitors will be strong this summer," Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism said in a news release. While it's typically seen as the official kickoff to summer, Memorial Day Weekend is not Maine's busiest travel day. It's usually in the top five, Courtney said, wedged somewhere between Labor Day, which is always the busiest and the first two weekends in August. The Fourth of July and Indigenous People's Day are also often busy. Nationally, AAA predicted a record-breaking weekend for travel, with 45.1 million people traveling at least 50 miles from home between May 22 and May 26. Updated numbers were not available Tuesday. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump has some Canadians rethinking their Maine vacation plans
Feb. 23—Fred Kennedy likes to stay in touch with past guests of the Alouette Beach Resort, a landmark hotel on Old Orchard Beach. He sends out occasional newsletters, hoping the email reminder will inspire return visits. And each year it's a good bet that some of the returning guests will come from Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada, as they have for decades. However, the last newsletter didn't land well with some of his Canadian patrons, including a few who said they were unhappy with President Donald Trump's threat to levy 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, as well as his insulting statements about their country and its leaders. "We heard back from two or three who said it would impact their decision to come down this year," Kennedy said. "We haven't had any cancellations yet, but it's certainly not great for business." Kennedy, who owns two additional hotels in Old Orchard Beach, is among thousands of Maine business owners who have been snared in recent political tensions between the U.S. and Canada and are bracing for the potential impacts of Trump's words and deeds. Maine's tourist economy is particularly at risk because it depends on people feeling good about how and where they spend their fun money. In 2023, 781,400 Canadians visited Maine and spent $464 million while they were here — numbers that have been negatively impacted in recent years by the pandemic, unfavorable currency exchange rates, and inflation. The Maine Tourism Association, which represents over 1,600 member businesses, has received a rash of calls and emails from Canadians with questions and concerns about their 2025 travel plans, said CEO Tony Cameron. "Some voiced their intent to cancel," Cameron said. "We're definitely concerned. Some businesses are seeing some cancellations and fewer bookings. It's early yet, and we certainly hope this blows over, but this feels a little different." POLLS MEASURE DISPLEASURE Canadians started signaling their displeasure over a potential trade war and its impact on their travel plans even before Trump took office. Nova Scotia-based Narrative Research conducted a poll in December that projected an overall 21% reduction in U.S. travel as a result of the election, and a 40% reduction among residents of Atlantic Canada, which includes the Maine-adjacent provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador. Since Trump moved into the White House, he has repeatedly said Canada should be the 51st state and referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "governor." In a nation where political polarization is rare, the affronts have triggered a groundswell of patriotism that has many displaying the Canadian flag and its red maple leaf. Now, 56% of Canadians say they will not travel to the U.S. or have canceled plans to do so, according to a poll from Leger, a Canadian research firm. ANGRY CANADIANS SEND LETTERS Some dismayed Canadians have shared their cancellation plans in letters to the Portland Press Herald. They include Paul Beland of Montreal, whose family has visited Maine every year since the 1930s, spending thousands of dollars on recent trips. But for the next four years, the Belands say they will visit coastal New Brunswick instead. "The ocean is just as nice, the lobster just as good," Beland wrote in a letter published Jan. 19. "It is 5 hours more driving time than going from Montreal to Kennebunk, but if Trump tries to run our economy into the ground, we will gladly drive it. And hopefully, in 2029, we will resume visiting beautiful Maine." Conrad Gregoire of Ottawa, Ontario, also wrote a letter. For decades his family has visited New England regularly and planned to attend the Moxie Festival in Lisbon this summer as part of a week on the Maine coast. "We have, regrettably, decided to cancel our trip to Maine and to forgo future visits to the U.S. until we feel more welcome," Gregoire wrote in a letter published Monday. "We are aware that not every person in the U.S. voted for President Trump, but his statements and actions regarding Canada are aimed at damaging the well-being of ALL Canadians." In a phone interview, Gregoire, a retired research chemist, said his travel party of 10, including his wife, two daughters and their families, likely would have spent over $20,000 in Maine this summer. Instead, they'll gather at his lakeside camp in Ontario. But Gregoire fears that even the threat of tariffs will dampen investment in Canada for the next four years. He and others believe Trump aims to destroy the Canadian economy and make it vulnerable to U.S. takeover, he said, and they're acting now to prevent that from happening. "Folks are staying home and they're buying local," Gregoire said. "I know about a dozen people who are changing their vacation plans, and instead of going to the U.S., they're going to Mexico or Cuba or Portugal, where it's a lot cheaper anyway. One of my neighbors, his son lives in Florida, and he said he's not going to step foot in the U.S. until Trump is gone." POLITICAL LEADERS REACT Maine's political leaders and tourism officials see the potential for serious damage and hope it doesn't come to that. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, posted a reaction to Gregoire's letter on social media. "Our neighbors to the north have always been welcome visitors to Maine," Pingree wrote. "They're also vital to our tourism industry. In 2022, Canadian tourists spent more than $400 million in our state. But now, some of them are feeling so unwelcome that they're canceling their trips here." Pingree called Trump's tariff threat "ill-conceived" and noted his statements on making Canada the 51st state. "Let's be clear: This is not a joke. It is a threat," Pingree said. "And clearly one that some Canadians are taking seriously. President Trump's dangerous rhetoric is damaging a vital trade partnership — and our deepest cultural relationship." State Rep. Lori K. Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, wrote in a Press Herald column published Wednesday that Mainers must inform the Trump administration that "Canada is our partner, not our enemy, and acting in any other way will only harm Maine people." Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, said the agency under Gov. Janet Mills also wants to maintain a welcoming environment for Canadians. "We deeply appreciate our neighbors choosing Maine as their vacation destination," Ouellette said in an emailed statement. "We are closely monitoring the situation to ensure the strong bond between Maine and Canada continues this winter and beyond." BUSINESSES ASSESS POTENTIAL IMPACTS Concern about the loss of Canadian visitors varies across Maine's tourism and hospitality industries. In the border town of Fort Kent, where they're about to host the annual Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races starting March 1, reaction to political tension between the two nations is tempered. "I don't think it will be an issue because the tariffs haven't taken effect," said Lana Malyuk, executive director of the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce. "The races are part of the culture here," Malyuk continued. "They start on Main Street, right outside our office. (The tariff threat) has raised questions about how it might affect us, but for now it really hasn't." In Old Orchard Beach, Allan Buotte and his wife, Tiffany, operate two landmark businesses — Pier Fries, which opened in 1932, and Bill's Pizza, which opened in 1949. Both have weathered several wars, economic downturns, political upheavals and a recent pandemic. "It's sad that the situation has reached this point, but we're optimistic," Buotte said. "We're fortunate to have a wonderful return customer base. I just hope people look beyond the political rhetoric and enjoy Old Orchard Beach as they always have." Fred Kennedy, the hotel owner, is optimistic, too. He believes relations between the two countries will improve eventually and Canadian visitors will feel welcome again. But Trump's disruptions come at an inopportune time, he said, when businesses are still rebuilding customer bases after the pandemic, and it's already costly for Canadians to come to Maine because of inflation and a Canadian dollar exchange rate that fell to 69 cents last week. Yet each summer, as hotels light up "no vacancy" signs and waiting lines grow for lobster rolls, the lack of Canadian tourists may go unnoticed. "We fill our rooms," Kennedy said. "When you fill your rooms, you don't know who you're missing. But you never like to lose old friends." Copy the Story Link
