Recreation & Tourism

Recreation and tourism play a vital role in the culture, economy, and future economic development of Maine’s rural communities, as well as in the overall economy of the state. Tourism in Maine provides economic and non-economic values to its citizens, including nature conservation, cultural heritage maintenance and pride, and infrastructure and facility improvement. Maine’s outstanding tourism assets, along with the diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities, attract millions of visitors annually to and within Maine. Challenges to capturing growth opportunities relate to changes in visitor travel behavior, economic crises, constrained integrated tourism planning and development, and extreme weather events/natural disasters. By gathering, analyzing, and communicating information about the economic impact and trends of tourism in Maine, we hope to increase the efficiency of and opportunities for Maine’s tourism industry.