Looking ahead, Maine Office of Tourism will update 5-year marketing strategy
FILE PHOTO / LAURIE SCHREIBER
The Maine Office of Tourism is updating its “Destination Management Plan’ to integrate a five-year marketing and development strategy. Here, a Southwest Harbor gallery flies a colorful flag for the tourist season.
In 2022, tourism generated an estimated 15.4 million visitors to Maine and direct expenditures of approximately $8.6 billion.
The industry is an important economic sector, but one that continues to evolve, according to the Maine Office of Tourism.
In 2023, the office launched a “Destination Management Plan,” with input from stakeholders, that was designed to balance the tourism economy with stewardship of Maine’s natural resources and culture and support for the quality of life for residents.
The office is again looking for stakeholder input as it begins development of a “Destination Management Plan: 2025 Reset” that will integrate a five-year marketing and development strategy.
Destination stewardship
In 2022, the Maine Office of Tourism hired Coraggio Group, a business management consultant in Portland, Ore., to develop a statewide “destination management plan” to focus on a new approach to tourism that wasn’t just about growing visitor numbers, but about doing it in a way that doesn’t compromise quality of life for residents and the essence of what draws tourists in the first place.
The office unveiled the plan in 2023, with initiatives that included cultural heritage heritage projects and programs, marketing improvements, promoting “destination stewardship” and the development of green itineraries.
Plan reset
The office has scheduled a series of listening sessions, facilitated by the Coraggio Group, to review:
- Travel trends
- Wish-list building
- Prioritizing needs
- Solutions brainstorming
Sessions are scheduled for:
- Dec. 3: 9-11 a.m. in Houlton and 3-5 p.m. in Machias
- Dec. 4: 9-11 a.m. in Brewer and 2-4 p.m. in Waterville
- Dec. 5: 9-11 a.m. in Rockport and 3-5 p.m. in Portland
- Dec. 6: 9-11 a.m. in Lewiston-Auburn and 2-4 p.m. in Wells
Two virtual sessions are scheduled:
- Dec. 13: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Dec. 19: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Click here for more information and to register.
To view the plan, click here.
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