As COVID-19 restrictions loosen, America is primed for a journey increase in 2022. And there’s no hotter vacation spot than “Vacationland” — our dwelling state of Maine.
Even final yr, within the midst of the pandemic, almost 16 million guests flocked to Maine — a 3rd greater than in 2020. Not solely that, however Maine’s guests spent $7.8 billion in 2021, over a billion {dollars} greater than the report set in 2019.
Mainers absolutely anticipate one other record-setting yr, and for good motive. With summer season right here, we see that many Individuals are itching to choose up the place they left off in 2019 and journey unencumbered as soon as once more. And, with a variety of facilities, Maine is the place to scratch that itch. From Portland’s meals scene to the carriage roads of Acadia and the western Maine mountains, there’s something for everybody right here.
However Maine doesn’t simply need to be a weekend journey or a one-week cease. Our state isn’t simply “Vacationland.” You can dwell right here. You’ll find a significant profession right here. And you might simply keep for a lifetime.
Vacationland attracts tens of millions of vacationers per yr, however an increasing number of Individuals are turning trip right into a everlasting keep. Practically two-thirds of Maine strikes are made by individuals coming right here — a better proportion than in each state apart from Idaho and North Carolina. Cities like Portland are among the many best locations to purchase a house in your complete nation.
Individuals are transferring to all components of Maine, not simply the Portland metropolitan space or different coastal locales. A part of the reason being that out-of-staters can entry Maine very simply. From the Maine Turnpike and the Portland Worldwide Jetport to Harmony Coach Traces and the Amtrak Downeaster, our state’s infrastructure makes it something however a distant vacation spot. We’re extraordinarily built-in with the remainder of New England, the USA, and even Canada to the north. The once-popular expression — “you possibly can’t get there from right here” — now not applies.
Maine’s infrastructure additionally contains high-speed broadband entry, which continues to enhance in additional rural areas. It’s buoyed by greater than $150 million in investments from federal funds and the just lately enacted Maine Jobs and Restoration Plan. Whether or not you’re overlooking Rangeley Lake or sipping espresso at Becky’s Diner in Portland, you may be linked to the area people and the net world. In spite of everything, connectivity is a should in an more and more digital financial system.
All of the whereas, numerous firms have made Maine their dwelling lately, relocating to enterprise hubs like FirstPark and creating jobs for native staff. FirstPark is promoting tons at a quicker tempo than ever earlier than, with companies in search of places in central Maine for the unparalleled high quality of life and distinctive entry to staff.
At close by Thomas School, the Alfond Institute for Enterprise Innovation helps native employers by conserving the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation alive. Mentoring and coaching college students, the college grooms central Maine’s subsequent era of human capital. Equally, Colby School’s Davis Institute for Synthetic Intelligence (AI) is getting ready college students for an AI-driven future, positioning Colby as a nationwide hotbed of Twenty first-century creativity. The Davis Institute’s motto is just becoming: “Silicon Valley wants a breath of contemporary Maine air.”
With a statewide unemployment price of three.3% (under the nationwide common), the human capital coming right here is contributing to an already wholesome financial system. They usually’re coming to a wholesome socioeconomic local weather writ massive, provided that Maine is the most secure state in America. Our state’s violent crime price is the bottom within the nation, making Vacationland a low-risk vacation spot for job creators, job-seekers, people, and households alike.
With the skin world in thoughts, policymakers and enterprise leaders have been reinventing Maine’s labor marketplace for years. We all know entice individuals with our varied facilities, and welcome them with open arms. Everybody is welcome right here. Organizations like Stay and Work in Maine are worthwhile sources for out-of-staters, internet hosting a job board and connecting individuals with Maine-based employers.
Even when employers are based mostly elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that a lot of at present’s work might be finished remotely. And if it must be “on-site” infrequently, Maine’s highways, airports, and transit stations join us with your complete East Coast — and past.
In 2022, Vacationland is your place to work and play. Our time is now. Come be part of the motion — to Maine.
Peter Mills is govt director of the Maine Turnpike Authority. James Dinkle is govt director of FirstPark in Oakland.
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