Bar Harbor chamber welcomes new director

BAR HARBOR – World tourism is a fast-growing business and the town must be ready to compete in the new era of global travel, Chamber of Commerce members heard Thursday from their new executive director.

In brief remarks to about 60 chamber members, Costas Christ said Bar Harbor, already world famous, has retained the charm and character that lures visitors to its oceanside resorts and beloved Acadia National Park.

Christ said he expects part of his new job will involve aggressively marketing Bar Harbor both nationally and internationally as competition for new visitors continues to increase.

Nature and adventure travel is the fastest-growing tourism sector, he said, and Bar Harbor is a perfect place to accommodate them.

Bar Harbor and Acadia already see about 2.5 million visitors a year, making it Maine’s most popular tourism destination.

Most recently senior director of ecotourism for Conservation International in Washington, D.C., Christ has traveled extensively, overseeing ecotourism projects and activities worldwide.

Christ will lead a delegation to Belize and Guatemala to investigate government-sponsored tourism projects before reporting for his first day on July 17.

Chamber President Michael Boland said Christ’s hiring was the best thing to happen to the chamber in his 17 years in town. He said Christ has “an extreme capacity” to be a strong leader for the chamber and to make a difference in the community.

Christ mingled with business owners, park officials and town councilors during the cocktail party at the historic Bar Harbor Club.

Boland said chamber officials thought they might get better attendance at a cocktail party than the 10 people who show up for the chamber’s typical “dry, boring” members meeting.

Christ acknowledged that he plans to continue living in Brooksville, where he and his wife, Sally, and children have lived for nearly 20 years.

The daily commute might seem long, Christ said, but Bar Harbor is “just around the corner” compared to traveling to Washington, D.C., every week.