ELLSWORTH — In an unprecedented move, Hancock and Washington counties chambers of commerce have joined forces to promote Down East Maine as a tourist destination in an advertising campaign slated to run next month in The Boston Globe.

A section of the Maine Office of Tourism’s full-page advertising spread will promote an Oklahoma map maker’s custom map of Hancock and Washington counties, showing a recommended tourist route and side trips throughout the region from Bucksport to Lubec and Calais. The ad will also list a toll-free number for obtaining free copies of the map.

The Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, Bernard Turner, says it’s the first time the dozen chambers have pooled their financial resources and advertised together. He says the Downeast Acadia Regional Tourism Committee initiated the joint tourism promotion project.

“At one time, they wouldn’t talk to each other,” he recalled this past week. “But everything we do now is teamwork. The individual Chambers do not have the financial resources to put all this together.”

Founded last year, DART’s purpose is to develop a more integrated approach to tourism in Down East Maine. The group includes representatives from Acadia National Park, Friends of Acadia, the Ellsworth, Bar Harbor and Machias chambers of commerce and various area businesses.

Since organizing, DART members have started work on long-range projects such as the establishment of a regional welcome center in Ellsworth. The joint tourism promotion project is among the group’s short-term initiatives.

Oklahoma City-based cartographers Mosher-Adams produced the map of Hancock and Washington counties that shows a tourist route that begins at the Bucksport Chamber of Commerce and winds up at Grand Lake Stream north of Calais.

Along the route, various side trips are singled out such as the Deer Isle-Blue Hill Peninsula area, Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, Lubec and Campobello Island, and Grand Lake Stream. The photographically illustrated map cost $20,000 to produce. Advertisers, whose businesses are mentioned on the map, are footing the cost.

The dozen or so Hancock and Washington county chambers are sharing the $6,000 cost to participate in the Maine Office of Tourism’s co-op ad, paying for a toll-free number and covering the postage costs involved in mailing free maps to prospective tourists.

Turner said 10,000 copies of the map are being printed. He said some maps will be available for promotion to the participating chambers.