MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 24, 2024
Leaders in Maine’s tourism industry say they aren’t overly worried about a 9% drop in summer visitors this year, but they’re watching the numbers closely to see what the future holds in a post-pandemic world. A total of 7.8 million tourists visited Maine this summer, a 9% drop from the summer of 2023. And the number of days visitors stayed in Maine fell 15%, according to a report released last week by the Maine Office of Tourism. Visitor numbers have been declining since 2021, while the overall number of days spent here by tourists had been increasing until the drop this year. Direct spending by visitors this summer was relatively flat after years of growth since 2021