Falling for Foliage Tourism office launches campaign for drawing out ‘leaf peepers’

Those lazy days of summer will soon be just a memory as the crisp autumn air creeps in and we move into yet another fall foliage season in Maine. And with the changing leaves come tourists hoping to catch Maine at its most vibrant.

“Unfortunately we don’t track numbers as to how many tourists we have in the summer compared to how many we have in the fall,” Steve Lyons, tourism development specialist for the state, said recently. “It’s really hard to get an apples to apples number in comparison.”

And while many tourists are drawn by the foliage season, which officially kicked off last week, a large number of people also are attracted to the state to pick apples, harvest pumpkins and experience Maine’s fall fair season.

Whatever their reasons for being here, the visitors drop a sizable chunk of change into state coffers, giving local economies a big boost during the extended tourist season.

Last year, taxable sales statewide for restaurants were more than $293 million and taxable lodging sales reached $170 million in September and October. By comparison, the peak tourist months of July and August drew almost $386 million in restaurant taxable sales and more than $209 million in lodging.

Overall, revenue in 2002 was up over 2001, Lyons said. He wouldn’t say what the state might be expecting for this fall.

“We never like to make predictions because you don’t know what could happen,” Lyons said. “We’re optimistic it’s going to be a positive year for us.”

Helping to fuel that optimism, The Office of Tourism is now offering 175 “Maine Getaway” travel packages for fall in collaboration with the Maine Innkeepers Association, Maine Campground Owners Association, Maine Tourism Association and several local chambers of commerce. The packages can be viewed at office’s Web site at www.visitmaine.com.

Arndts Aroostook River Lodge & Campground in Presque Isle is attempting to increase the slack season it experiences between summer and snowmobile time by embarking on a variety of advertising campaigns, including a Maine Getaway package for the fall.

“We see the opportunity there for growth,” campground co-owner Ken Arndt said. “The more we do, the more we’ll be able to get people in.” The colors are already beginning to change in Aroostook County and Arndt said business is up slightly from last year. The business has been operating year-round for the last two years and is trying to promote the foliage season. The campground remains open until Oct. 15 and two newly built full-service cabins can be rented year round.

An integral season for Sunrise Expeditions, a Bangor-based company that has offered canoe trips along the St. Croix River for the last 32 years, has not provided outstanding revenue for the last few falls.

“[This fall] might be a little bit better than last year, but the last few years have not been up to par,” Sunrise Expeditions Director Martin Brown said. He cited poor economic conditions and competition from destinations other than Maine as reasons. Although the state is trying hard to rectify this, he said, it has made for a challenging business environment the last few years.

In an effort to attract and keep tourists in Maine longer, the state’s Web site also suggests foliage driving “loops” that bring tourists inland to visit parts of the state other than the popular coastal region.

“It gets people from out of state to experience agricultural life and agricultural living in Maine,” Lyons said, citing annual events such as the Common Ground Fair, the Cornish Apple Festival and the ever-popular Fryeburg Fair as prime tourist attractions.

In addition to visitmaine.com, tourists can check out www.mainefoliage.com for travel tips, foliage reports, and even a kid’s page. By calling (888) MAINE-45 eager leaf peepers also can receive up-to-date foliage reports for the entire state.

Each week forest rangers from around the state gather information about how vibrant the colors are and what percentage of leaves have already dropped and report back to the Maine Department of Conservation office in Augusta. The information is then passed on to the Department of Tourism who is responsible for communicating the foliage report to the public.

“If the weather stays the way it’s been the last few weeks, fall is going to be phenomenal,” Lyons said.

The recent sunny, breezy days and cool, clear nights have really helped Mother Nature, said Gale Ross, an administrative assistant with the Department of Conservation. Subtle color changes already have been noted in northern Maine and Ross said it’s safe to say a fairly brilliant fall foliage season is expected across the state.

The shades of red, gold, purple and orange that will soon blanket much of Maine’s 17.5 million acres of forest should be good for Maine businesses. Tourist numbers were up for the month of June, even though word on the street claimed it was a so-so month for business, according to Lyons.

In July, revenue numbers were down, but so far taxable restaurant sales are 1.5 percent ahead of last year and lodging sales are up about 1.4 percent.

Lyons is hopeful that the fall tourism season will be strong and boost those revenue numbers some more.