SUNRISE COUNTY’S MOMENT

Anger, frustration, bitterness and resignation are among the reactions from those in Washington County to the defeat of the racino referendum on Nov. 6. The gambling, resort and conference facility, as proposed by the Passamaquoddy Tribe for Calais, would not have turned the tide on the county’s economic woes, but it represented a toehold in that struggle.

One silver lining to the racino defeat is that Washington County now finds itself, perhaps for a brief moment, front and center on the economic development stage. As state and county leaders ponder how to revive the county’s economy, they should set aside finger-pointing and hand-wringing and make the most of that moment. Nurturing existing businesses, encouraging startups and luring new firms, such as Acrobat Research, which plans to bring 210 jobs to Calais, should and will continue. But another potential shot in the arm for Washington County is, quite literally, passing it by.

Tourism is Maine’s biggest industry. And Washington County, despite the scenic beauty of its coast and small towns, is not landing its share of visitors. Observers suggest some explanations. One is that the huge draws of Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor have created a vacuum. Another explanation is that Washington County does not have the necessary tourism infrastructure, such as hotel and restaurant chains, campgrounds and the like. Even with the wealth of information available on the Web, out-of-state visitors are less likely to make reservations at stand-alone motels or cottages they’ve never seen, but are more likely to book a stay at a chain hotel, knowing what to expect.

The potential for tourism in the area is great. The eastern gateway at Calais is the eighth busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing. With the more valuable Canadian dollar, Washington County businesses should be able to bring Canadians to the U.S. And at the western gateway, where millions visit Mount Desert Island, Washington County should be able to poach some of those who may be seeking a less populous vacation spot or maybe a change of pace after yearly visits to Acadia.

The service centers of Calais and Machias are obvious anchors for a county tourism scheme. State and local tax breaks could lure chain hotels and restaurants to locate in those communities. Spillover would be referred to homegrown establishments, and just getting people to stay in the area to enjoy its character would generate word-of-mouth buzz.

Stealing a page from the Maritime Provinces, the county could develop signed driving tours, leading to places like Roque Bluffs State Park, Great Wass Island, Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge, the Bold Coast trails, Cobscook Bay State Park, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Quoddy Head State Park and others. Calais to Machias to Lubec makes a natural triangle which could be the basis for several daylong explorations for visitors.

The county legislative delegation, state tourism and taxation officials, and most important, local leaders should form a group and issue a plan by spring aimed at sharply improving Washington County’s tourism revenue. Rather than wait for its ship to come in, the region should figure out how to flag down the thousands of cars that are passing it by.