AUGUSTA – As the state’s tourism industry nears the end of its peak summer season, the most recent taxable sales reports of the tourism industry indicate an increase in revenues over last year, according to information compiled by the Maine Office of Tourism and released Thursday.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, total meals and lodging sales set a record of more than $2.1 billion for an increase of 3.42 percent over 2002. The taxable sales reports are generated from reports that individual Maine accommodations and restaurants submit to the Maine Revenue Service.

The July report from the Maine Turnpike Authority indicates traffic on the turnpike reached record numbers as well. In July, nearly 6.2 million vehicles traveled the turnpike, making it the heaviest traffic month in the highway’s 56-year history. The average number of vehicles traveling the turnpike every day during July surpassed the previous record set in August 2002 by nearly 2,000 vehicles per day.

The most recent office of tourism Web site report also delivered good news for Maine’s tourism industry, according to Dann H. Lewis, director of the tourism office. The Web site received a total of 228,724 visits during the month of July, with an increase of more than 65,000 from July 2002.