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Tourism & Recreation

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Feds award $2.5M to BigRock Mountain for new chairlift

Laurie Schreiber August 18, 2022

The existing lift is over 50 years old. The new lift will feature technology such as a touchscreen interface that eases system operations and maintenance. 

  • Northeast Harbor: Thanks, but no thanks to cruise ships

    November 14, 2016

    After two hours of debate on Nov. 7 at a Northeast Harbor gymnasium with input from about 120 people, the town's board of selectmen voted 5-0 against allowing American Cruise Lines to discharge passengers there next summer.

    November 14, 2016

  • Steve Hewins talks his ambitious plans to bring a convention center to Portland

    Jennifer Van Allen November 14, 2016

    The recently-appointed head of both the Maine Restaurant Association and Maine Innkeepers Association went public in early November with his aspirations to bring a convention center to Portland.

    Jennifer Van Allen November 14, 2016

  • Acadia's popularity has park officials weighing possible reservation system

    November 7, 2016

    There's a growing traffic and parking problem at Acadia National Park and park officials are looking at possible ways to alleviate visitor's headaches, including requiring vehicle reservations during peak hours at some of the most popular stops.

    November 7, 2016

  • Want to buy a harness track? Scarborough Downs could be yours for $7.5M

    November 7, 2016

    The 66-year-old Scarborough Downs horse track is for sale with a price tag of $7.5 million, and its owners say that it's unlikely that the 483-acre facility will continue to be a harness track once it's sold.

    November 7, 2016

  • Shawnee Peak charges into ski season with renovations, snowmaking tech

    Staff November 7, 2016

    Shawnee Peak's ski season is kicking off with a number of capital improvements coming to the Bridgton ski area, including extensive facility renovations and the purchase of the latest snowmaking tech to insure visitors can hit the trails as soon as

    Staff November 7, 2016

  • Sugarloaf, Sunday River sold as part of $840M deal

    November 4, 2016

    Two of Maine's most popular ski resorts, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, are being acquired by a New York City hedge fund as part of a wider deal, after being on the market for a least the past year.

    November 4, 2016

  • Maine hospitality leader wants to build a Portland convention center

    November 2, 2016

    Steve Hewins, the director of both the Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Innkeepers Association, founded a nonprofit that hopes to bring a convention center to Portland.

    November 2, 2016

  • Alfond Foundation makes $1.5M ‘game-changer’ gift to UMaine Athletics

    November 1, 2016

    A $1.5 million, three-year grant awarded to the University of Maine's athletic program by the Harold Alfond Foundation is being called a “game-changer” by UMaine President Susan Hunter.

    November 1, 2016

  • Recent showers help curb severe drought conditions

    November 1, 2016

    The ongoing drought conditions that have been bad news for farmers and have brought groundwater to low levels have subsided slightly as the severe-to-extreme drought conditions that afflicted over a quarter of the state last week have been curbed to

    November 1, 2016

  • A frightful tour of Bangor, courtesy of Stephen King's mind

    October 31, 2016

    Scary clowns might be terrorizing communities across the country, but if you want to visit Derry, the town where the fright first entered the minds of many after Pennywise from Stephen King's novel “It” terrorized children, you might want to take a

    October 31, 2016

  • One day later, here's what we know about Saddleback sale

    October 28, 2016

    A group of area business owners, skiers and nonprofits say they've reached verbal agreements to purchase both the core ski area and land surrounding the Saddleback Mountain ski area. But how are they going to do it?

    October 28, 2016

  • Area businesses, skiers to buy Saddleback Mountain ski resort

    October 27, 2016

    The Saddleback Mountain Foundation, the Trust for Public Land and the New England Forestry Foundation say that they've reached verbal agreements to purchase both the core ski area and the surrounding land of the Saddleback Mountain ski area.

    October 27, 2016

  • Winter is coming: Sunday River, down a ski lift, begins snowmaking

    October 25, 2016

    Sunday River is gearing up for the upcoming ski season as the Newry ski area began snowmaking operations on Monday, but the company says it will be down one ski lift this winter.

    October 25, 2016

  • The business of being Bob Dylan

    Kevin Steeves October 21, 2016

    There's a sense of giddiness in Dennis Bailey's voice when he recalls the first time that the music of Bob Dylan resonated with him: “'Nashville Skyline:' And only because Johnny Cash was on it. He wrote the liner notes and played on some songs. And

    Kevin Steeves October 21, 2016

  • Hydro dams implicated in large-scale fish kills

    October 20, 2016

    Thousands of dead fish have been discovered at two sites in Ellsworth and Brunswick over the past week and conservation groups say they've been asking state and federal agencies as well as a dam operator for answers.

    October 20, 2016

  • Nat May, director of Portland’s SPACE, stepping down

    Staff October 17, 2016

    Nat May, the executive director of SPACE Gallery, the alternative arts venue that has become a cornerstone of Portland's creative arts community, will be stepping down from his post effective Nov. 18.

    Staff October 17, 2016

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Today's Poll

Does cruise ship season help your business?
Poll Description

Sponsored by Kennebunk Savings Bank

Maine's cruise ship season is in full swing, running from late September through early November. Thousands of passengers are expected to visit Portland, Bar Harbor, Eastport or Rockland.

This week alone, Portland is set to welcome around 16,000 cruise ship passengers.

But as the season ramps up, it's bringing mixed reviews. Some locals brace for the crowds and many business owners say cruise ship visitors don't spend much while in the port. Other business owners argue that, even if cruise ships don't benefit their own coffers, they still benefit the overall economy.

When we asked this question in 2023, Mainebiz respondents, 21% said the visits bring customers and revenue, while only 18% said the visits don't help their business.

More than half of the respondents, 53%, said cruise ships benefit the overall economy, 

More Information