AUGUSTA – Maine became the first state Wednesday to use an electronic brochure to promote tourism.

The eBrochure replicates the Maine Tourism Association’s “Maine Invites You” travel planner and can be e-mailed in seconds in response to a potential visitor’s request.

Gov. John Baldacci introduced the eBrochure after ordering and receiving it via e-mail.

“The eBrochure allows people interested in coming to Maine to view a colorful and informative travel planner right in their e-mail inbox,” he said. “The recipient can also forward our travel planner to friends and family quickly and efficiently, spreading the word about vacationing in Maine.”

Working in partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism, the Maine Tourism Association is a nonprofit membership-based organization that publishes several travel guides and operates the state’s visitor information centers. Each year, the organization produces a full-color, magazine-style travel planner that is sent to people requesting information about vacationing in Maine.

The searchable format was produced by Mobular Technologies Inc. and the data can be viewed when the recipient is online or can be saved to a computer desktop for off-line browsing.

The technology will not only save the state printing and distribution costs, but give it the ability to update content and gather information about who is viewing the eBrochure.