On the Record: Visit Portland CEO touts meetings, conferences as ‘tremendous opportunity’

As president and CEO of Visit Portland, Lynn Tillotson leads a team of 14 full-time staff at Maine’s only Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Think of us as the sales and marketing team for the destination, working every day to attract visitors and business to our region and support the local economy,” she says. Mainebiz: What’s your early take on this summer’s tourism season compared with last year? Lynn Tillotson: We had great weather this summer, which is always a win. Gas prices created a bit of a headwind for travel, but overall, our hotel occupancy has remained steady with last year, and that’s a good sign. MB: What changes if any are you seeing in who’s visiting, where they’re coming from or how much they’re spending? LT: Boston continues to be our top market, with New York emerging as our second largest. Visitors are really leaning into the Greater Portland experience, from our food and arts scene to outdoor recreation, with arts and entertainment generating the highest visitor spending after lodging. MB: Downtown Portland has faced concerns around safety. Has that affected tourism or visitors’ perceptions of the city? LT: Perception certainly matters when people are choosing where to visit, and we’ve seen that impact in the past. I think the work Portland Downtown’s Ambassadors are doing to keep our downtown clean, welcoming and accessible makes a real difference for both visitors and residents. MB: Portland continues to see a wave of hotel development. Can the market support more rooms? LT: Portland’s hotel room inventory has grown nearly 67% since 2010, and demand has remained strong. Hotels do a tremendous amount of research before making that kind of investment, so I see continued development as a real vote of confidence in Portland, and our job is to keep building the demand to support it. MB: What’s the economic impact of minor league sports on Portland? LT: Sports Business Journal named Portland the No. 1 Minor League sports market [in 2024], and you can see that enthusiasm in the strong attendance for our four teams. Beyond providing great family-friendly entertainment, those games bring people downtown and generate spending at restaurants, shops, hotels and other local businesses, extending the economic impact well beyond the venues themselves. MB: What visitor groups or markets do you see as the biggest opportunities? LT: Meetings and conferences are a tremendous opportunity because a single event can bring hundreds of people into the city, supporting hotels, restaurants and businesses throughout the community. We have great conference properties today, and as Greater Portland continues to evolve, additional meeting options could open the door to new opportunities and larger groups. MB: Are there particular destinations, attractions or experiences that Greater Portland could do a better job of promoting? LT: Maine will always be known for lighthouses and lobster, but there’s so much more to our story. We’re working to showcase Greater Portland’s arts and culture, local makers, food, history and cultural diversity to give visitors a deeper sense of what makes this community special. MB: What’s next for Greater Portland in your branding plans? LT: We’re excited to launch our new website in the coming months, along with a new winter campaign featuring our refreshed brand. We’ll also introduce “Lightkeepers,” a campaign that celebrates the people who live and work here and the stories, talents and personalities that make Greater Portland so special. MB: What new initiatives is your organization are planning in coming months? LT: For the past two years, we’ve partnered with the Portland Parks Conservancy for an annual spring cleanup, and we’d love to grow that effort. Our hope is to create volunteer opportunities throughout National Travel and Tourism Week so hospitality teams can come together and give back to our community.