Proximity is the theme for tourism in Maine

Proximity is the theme for tourism in Maine
BY MATT WICKENHEISER
Blethen Maine Newspapers

During a typical summer, Gene Schuper might travel to California or Colorado to visit friends.

But with average gas prices above $3.80 nationwide, food costs on the rise and the economy sputtering, this summer will not be typical.

"I'll probably stay in Maine, go up north," said Schuper. He might get some fly fishing in with a friend who's getting his guide license. "I don't really want to go out of state."

The state hopes many Mainers emulate Schuper's plans.

The Maine Office of Tourism will launch an ad campaign "to encourage Mainers to look in their own backyards," said Pat Eltman, the state's tourism director. The campaign begins in late June and will run for six weeks.

The industry calls this kind of tourism a "staycation."

"We just want to remind people in Maine how lucky they are to live where they are," said Eltman. "We have great state parks, great beaches, so much to do."

The plan includes TV and radio ads, as well as three inserts in the statewide newspapers, said Eltman. While Memorial Day weekend represents a soft opening for tourism, the June-July-August stretch is primetime.

So far, Eltman said, anecdotal evidence from those in the tourism trade suggests that this summer will be at least as strong as last, and maybe even up a bit. Gas prices might encourage regional travel, as people from Massachusetts stay closer to home. The weak dollar plays a role, attracting Canadians to come and spend their comparatively strong currency.

And Americans do value their vacations, despite doom-and-gloom headlines.

So why try to push Vacationland as Staycationland?

Call it a hedge against possible petroleum party-pooping.

"Historically, we haven't been hurt by higher fuel prices. We're such a drive-to destination, we're usually not harmed," said Eltman. "But they've never been this high. It's a safety net - we wanted our own people to think about traveling in Maine."

Tourism is Maine's single largest employment sector. In 2006, the most recent year for which data is available, it generated $10.06 billion in sales, 140,000 jobs and $429 million in taxes. Ironically, those numbers don't fully capture in-state tourism, after the State Planning Office made a controversial change that doesn't count Mainers' day trips.

Tom Bayley, general manager at Bayley's Camping Resort in Scarborough, said the population of Mainers camping at his sites has doubled in the last two years. Last weekend, Bayley's held a special discount weekend, and 65 percent of the campers were from Maine.

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/5092324.html