Rural locations outpace Maine tourism centers in Memorial Day journey

Memorial Day Website traffic Maine

A motorist pulling a camper and carrying kayaks and bikes travels on the Maine Turnpike, Friday, May 28, 2021, in Kennebunk. (AP Photograph/Robert F. Bukaty)

A motorist pulling a camper and carrying kayaks and bikes travels on the Maine Turnpike, Friday, May well 28, 2021, in Kennebunk. (AP Image/Robert F. Bukaty)

By Jessica Piper, Bangor Each day News Staff

Memorial Day weekend travel rebounded considerably in Maine in 2021, but it remained brief of pre-pandemic stages with rural gains offset by dips in coastal tourism facilities amid intercontinental travel constraints and lingering virus worries.

Just in excess of 330,000 automobiles crossed the Piscataqua River Bridge amongst Friday and Monday, according to facts from the Maine Division of Transportation.

By Jessica Piper, Bangor Everyday News Personnel

Memorial Working day weekend journey rebounded substantially in Maine in 2021, but it remained small of pre-pandemic ranges with rural gains offset by dips in coastal tourism centers amid worldwide travel limitations and lingering virus fears.

Just about 330,000 vehicles crossed the Piscataqua River Bridge amongst Friday and Monday, in accordance to data from the Maine Office of Transportation. That was a 68 % boost compared to 2020, when Maine however had coronavirus-connected travel limitations for all states but New Hampshire and Vermont. But it was continue to 14 percent decreased than in 2019, when far more than 380,000 motor vehicles crossed the bridge from New Hampshire to Maine in a weekend.

The range of automobiles traveling by Maine DOT count stations throughout the state was up 42 p.c compared with final yr but continue to 8 p.c reduce than in 2019. These alterations ended up not uniform, however, as targeted traffic lagged in southern Maine but rebounded additional in northern and rural areas of the point out that noticed amounts exceeding 2019.

The southern coast was specifically challenging-strike by decreases, with sites from Kittery to Saco looking at dips in targeted visitors that ranged involving 8 p.c and 14 % relative to two many years in the past. Kim Howard, government director of the Old Orchard Seashore Chamber of Commerce, stated throughout a website dialogue hosted by the Maine Condition Chamber of Commerce that Memorial Working day targeted traffic designed her “cautiously optimistic” for the relaxation of the time offered the enhancement from 2020. 

But she cited the ongoing closure of the border with Canada as a big situation, significantly for Aged Orchard Seashore, the place French-Canadian travellers have historic ties. The border has been closed for most of the pandemic but could reopen in July. Canadian vacationers accounted for 17 per cent of overnight stays in Maine in 2019, in accordance to info from the Maine Business office of Tourism.

When travel in southern Maine did not return to pre-pandemic amounts, various places more north observed enhanced targeted visitors when compared to both equally 2019 and 2020. The amount of autos traversing the Thompson Island Bridge, which crosses from Trenton to Mount Desert Island and the tourist places of Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, was up 3.2 p.c when compared to 2019, according to state info. The increase will come on the heels of the national park’s busiest wintertime ever.

But the put that observed the greatest proportional boost amongst any of the places the place Maine DOT measures was together Route 6 in the Penobscot County town of Springfield, in which the range of automobiles crossing was up 12 percent when compared to 2019. Count web sites on condition highways in Dexter, New Portland and Ashland also saw extra autos this yr.

The boosts healthy with a sample of rising tourism in the highlands of Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, explained Kerrie Tripp, govt director of the Higher Bangor Convention and Website visitors Bureau.

She noted that some distant destinations had seen an maximize in visitors concerning 2019 and 2020 — even as overall tourist visits declined considerably in Maine — as a lot more Mainers vacationed in the condition. Many of individuals holidaymakers were being returning for yet another take a look at this summer time, she mentioned, together with readers from other states who may well truly feel safer vacationing in rural regions.

The significant vacation quantities more than Memorial Working day weekend even now portend a chaotic summer season. Obtaining a reservation in the highlands is a lot more complicated than 2019 or 2020, Tripp said, with some houses currently bought out wholly. Even though the absence of Canadian website visitors also took a toll in rural regions, Tripp explained destinations were being also seeing improved tourism from domestic vacationers who opted to go to Maine fairly than travel internationally.

“Although we haven’t completely designed up for the reduction of the Canadian website visitors, we’re undoubtedly performing pretty properly with a ton of individuals initial-time site visitors that are coming to the condition of Maine,” she claimed. “So, there’s a tiny bit of harmony.”