BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 1, 2021
Memorial Day weekend travel rebounded significantly in Maine in 2021, but it remained short of pre-pandemic levels with rural gains offset by dips in coastal tourism centers amid international travel restrictions and lingering virus concerns. Just over 330,000 vehicles crossed the Piscataqua River Bridge between Friday and Monday, according to data from the Maine Department of Transportation. That was a 68 percent increase compared with 2020, when Maine still had coronavirus-related travel restrictions for all states but New Hampshire and Vermont. But it was still 14 percent lower than in 2019. While travel in southern Maine did not return to pre-pandemic levels, several destinations further north saw increased traffic compared with both 2019 and 2020.