Importance of tourism

I want to congratulate the Bangor Daily News on its Feb. 26 editorial concerning proposed cuts to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development’s Office of Tourism.

The editorial outlined in clear, concise and accurate terms the most compelling reasons why the Office of Tourism budget should not be cut.

At a time when this state is looking to increase revenues, it makes no sense to harm the marketing effort that has helped make tourism a $2 billion-a-year industry in Maine, and results in $100 million a year in tax revenues.

Tourism has continued to be one of the bright spots in the Maine economy, even during these difficult economic times. Not to be forgotten is that tourism provides 57,000 jobs a year — the largest segment for employment in Maine.

As your editorial pointed out, however, tourism is a highly competitive industry — especially in New England — where our main competitors, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, have asked for increases in their tourism budgets.

The idea that visitors will continue to come to Maine whether or not there is a marketing effort by the Office of Tourism is not only shortsighted, it is incorrect. Marketing experts know advertising has a residual effect. Accordingly, the impact of cutting Maine’s marketing efforts now will not only be felt this year, but during the next two, three and four years.

Can Maine really afford to be out of the tourism business? As your editorial so correctly pointed out, anyone who suggests the state can slide by for a few years without a marketing effort is simply not paying attention, either to the industry or the competition.

Tourism is far too important for everyone in Maine to take that chance. Lynn Wachtel, Commissioner Department of Economic and Communty Development Augusta