Maine's Top Tourism Exec on Surviving a Crazy Rebound Summer With a Labor Shortage Grind
Photo Caption: Main boat doc Benjamin Rascoe
Skift Take
With reduced travel restrictions, the tourism industry in the United States is seeing a rabid comeback. No place experienced that more than the Pine Tree State, which saw a surge of tourists, but found fewer workers to serve the demand. Maine's summer story may just be a proxy for the dilemma facing so many other destinations.
This past year, as the United States began easing travel restrictions, most states planned for a steady influx of tourists and revenue sales — especially in the state known as Vacationland, where Maine saw a 25 percent increase in tourism sales this year from January to May, compared to pre-pandemic numbers. What's more, 44 percent of businesses said this summer was better than last year for economic growth and development, according to the Main Tourism Association (MTA).
Skift this week caught up with MTA CEO Tony Cameron about what the tourism industry can learn from Maine’s summer and what future travelers can expect.
Skift: What are some challenges you’ve faced to meet traveler demands and concerns?
Tony Cameron: It was absolutely the workforce. That was the storyline last year, and it
