Tourists in Maine spend less time, watch pennies

PORTLAND — The tourists are still coming to Maine, but they’re not staying as long, not eating out as much and not spending as much.

Reflecting on the summer vacation season that just ended, Maine officials said Wednesday they’re confident revenues from tourism will increase again this year, although the actual numbers won’t be available until sometime in November.

“Tourism was one of the few areas of the economy that grew last year, and we think we’ll be on the positive side again,” said Hilary Sinclair, director of the Office of Tourism in the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

Local tourism officials echoed her optimism Wednesday. But several said they also saw trouble signs from New England’s economic slowdown.

“Not as many came this summer,” said Nancy White, assistant director of the Rockport-Camden-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce. “I think overall it’s off from last year.

“At the same time, we were a lot fuller than we thought we would be considering the economy. But the people aren’t spending like they used to. They spend a lot of time looking in the stores, but they aren’t buying,” she said.

Ms. Sinclair said state tourism officials also noticed that trend.

“The visitors are coming, but they’re taking shorter vacations. They’re not spending as much. They’re not eating out as much,” she said.

State officials estimate that on average tourism generates about $100 million a year in sales tax revenue, she said.

Revenues from the 7 percent sales tax on lodging were up 6.3 percent in 1989 over 1988, she said, and income from sales tax charged in restaurants was up 3.95 percent. As a comparison, she said, overall consumer sales tax revenue statewide dropped by 1 percent in 1989.

“So tourism as a whole was much stronger than the rest of the economy,” she said. “I’m optimistic that tourism will show growth this year. I think it will be about the same as last year.”

Though tourists aren’t spending as much, Ms. Sinclair said state officials have seen two positive trends: the vacation season in Maine now seems to run from July through September; and Maine has become a popular spot for European tourists.

“The overseas traveler is growing at a much higher rate than domestic travelers,” she said. “Our primary overseas markets are England and France, but we’re also seeing an increase in Japanese visitors.”

In the mid-coast area of Maine, the tourist season still is in full swing, said Ms. White of the Rockport area chamber.

“It’s not over here. We’ve had 145 people in here so far today,” she said. “July was real slow, but I think people are catching on that the best weather tends to be in September and October.”

Tourist haunts are still hopping in Bar Harbor, as well.

“We’ve had a very good season and our fall looks good,” said Virginia Farnsworth, executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. “We had such a hot August that it drove people to the coastal areas. That was a big factor.”