State marketing campaign promotes 'responsible recreation,' offers business toolkit
Courtesy / MOT
A logo for the Maine Office of Tourism's Look Out for ME campaign.
The Maine Office of Tourism is rolling out a marketing campaign designed to keep the state’s great outdoors great, even as people flock to them in record-setting numbers.
Look Out for ME is a communications and education initiative encouraging “responsible recreation” and respect for the state’s natural resources, according to a news release Thursday.
With input from the outdoor recreation industry, the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, the MOT is offering businesses a downloadable toolkit with logos, social media posts and printable posters to help spread the message. Digital and print advertising will launch in April.
The campaign comes as more people turn to Maine’s outdoors for enjoyment in the face of the pandemic. Maine state parks shattered visitation records in 2020, attracting over 3 million people, and the state’s outdoor recreation industry is ringing up increasing sales.
And the outdoor recreation boom isn’t likely to end any time soon. According to a recent study cited by the office of tourism, 82% of people recreating for the first time during the pandemic say they plan to continue doing so. That's good news for Maine, where outdoor recreation makes up 4.2% of the state’s economy, more than double the national average.
"As more and more people engage in outdoor activities, there is a need to ensure information is available on how to safely participate and become stewards of our natural resources. The more positive the experience, the greater the likelihood is for return visits," Maine Office of Tourism Director Steve Lyons said in the release.
Maine Outdoor Brands Executive Director Jenny Kordick added, "In Maine, we are fortunate to have a wealth of natural areas, a strong outdoor brand, and several private businesses that sustain and grow a thriving outdoor economy. The tools available through the Look Out for ME initiative will help the public and private sectors have a unified message of responsibility and sustainability, ultimately helping more people safely enjoy the outdoors and protecting the outdoor assets we have.”
More information and the Look Out for ME toolkit can be found at visitmaine.com/look-out-for-me.
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