A new report from Planning Decisions Inc. says Maine’s summer camps generate more than $330 million in economic impact, or about 90% as large as Maine’s boatbuilding industry.
Total economic impact for summer camps is $332 million a year, the Portland Press Herald reported. This includes indirect spending for items like food and fuel. Maine has 330 day and overnight camps that employ 500 full-time people and 10,500 seasonal workers. The camps draw 45,000 out-of-state visitors a year. The camps’ capital and operational spending, plus visitor spending, equals $171 million. The study was commissioned by the American Camp Association.
Summer camps in the Northeast generate more than $3.2 billion a year in economic benefit.
A 2005 study pegged annual impact of the camp industry at $245 million.
