Photo / Courtesy of Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Alf Anderson, executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Updated: January 10, 2022
2022 Economic Forecast
2022 Forecast: Bar Harbor shows indications of a strong tourism year to come
It’s still early to predict trends for the 2022 tourism season.
But Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alf Anderson says he’s hearing seasonal lodging establishments are already seeing strong demand.
“The national trend seems to indicate that travelers will continue seeking safe destinations with plenty of outdoor opportunities, so I expect visitor demand to be high for our summer and fall seasons once again,” he says.
Anderson says he expects strong tourism business in Bar Harbor and for Mount Desert Island from spring through late fall.
A key factor driving that trend remains the pandemic.
“Bar Harbor and MDI have remained safe, relative to other parts of the country, throughout the pandemic,” Anderson says. “I expect travelers will continue to be drawn here for that reason, coupled with the fact that we also have Acadia National Park and all its outdoor activities to offer.”
Top challenges are worker and worker-housing shortages. They’re not new issues, but they were pushed to crisis levels by the pandemic.
Many seasonal businesses rely on foreign workers, who were in short supply in 2021. That meant businesses had to limit hours of operation and leave potential revenue on the table, he says.
The housing shortage is particularly challenging for year-round businesses like the Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island Hospital, he said, because potential hires can’t find affordable family housing.
But Anderson is optimistic that, as international borders reopen, foreign workers will be able to make it to Bar Harbor for 2022. And there are some exciting housing developments underway that could help alleviate pressure on the market for rentals and single-family homes.
“Overall, I’m optimistic about 2022 for the Bar Harbor business community,” he says. “We know that the number of visitors will be high, so our tourism businesses can continue to rebound from the up and down years they’ve just experienced. Our community will also be working to address the major challenges of workforce housing and the labor shortage, which are the key impediments to year-round economic development.”
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