Optimistic outlook for Maine’s fall tourism
Maine’s tourism industry is seeing a strong showing from visitors this fall, the season when many visitors travel the state to see the leaves changing colors.
The Portland Press Herald reported today that September and October have been busy tourist months so far as parts of Maine have begun to reach peak foliage conditions.
Greg Dugal, president and CEO of the Maine Innkeepers Association and the Maine Restaurant Association, told the paper that members have been reporting “exceptional” business since mid-September.
This past Columbus Day weekend, the Maine Turnpike Authority reported high traffic volumes Monday in Wells and York to the New Hampshire border, and Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal had one of its highest visitation weekends in recent memory, according to the paper. The manager of the state park estimated that about 1,200 people visited Bradbury Mountain on Sunday, and he expected Monday’s numbers to be similar.
Peak foliage season is coming to Maine later than usual this year. The northern third of the state hit peak foliage last weekend, one to two weeks later than normal, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Forest rangers are still reporting low-to-moderate color throughout the rest of the state, according to the department.
Last year, tourists spent an estimated $5.5 billion in Maine, up 4.5% from the year before, according to the Maine Office of Tourism.
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