Despite high gas prices, Maine officials are expecting a strong summer tourism season

Maine officers say they’re anticipating one other robust tourism season — however they are saying guests have modified the place and the way they trip right here.

Steve Lyons, the director of the Maine Workplace of Tourism, stated that additional loosening of restrictions on the Canadian border, and pent-up demand for journey throughout the pandemic, will possible translate to lots of guests coming to Maine this summer time.

Whereas gasoline costs are nonetheless nicely over $4 per gallon, Lyons would not anticipate it to have a serious influence on visitation. Lyons stated that latest knowledge confirmed that greater than 90% of People are nonetheless planning to journey over the following six months, and he expects Maine will profit from being comparatively near cities equivalent to Philadelphia and New York.

“A number of the different experiences we’re listening to are that folks may not spend as a lot on souvenirs, or exit to dinner fairly as incessantly. However aside from that, there’s pent-up demand, and we do anticipate folks to journey to Maine this summer time,” Lyons stated.

Lyons stated rural areas, equivalent to Piscataquis and Somerset Counties, noticed a giant enhance in tourism over the previous few years due to folks searching for outside recreation and more room throughout the pandemic. He stated whereas he expects that development to proceed, the state can be seeing extra folks returning to conventional vacationer areas alongside the coast.

“So we’re beginning to see that change,” Lyons stated. “It’s going to be attention-grabbing for us to see how ’22 performs out, given these circumstances.”

The workplace experiences that Maine noticed 2.4 p.c extra guests final summer time, in contrast with the pre-pandemic summer time of 2019.