Maine Tourism Association Industry News

09/14/2022

WE'RE HIRING!

The Maine Tourism Association is currently seeking an energetic and highly motivated individual to join our team as the Advertising and Membership Manager for the southern half of Maine! This position is based out of Hallowell but will involve travel in southern and western Maine.

Come work for the largest tourism organization in Maine dedicated to advocating, promoting Maine businesses, and keeping the tourism industry sustainable for the past 100 years!

Read the job description and apply here: https://mainetourismjobs.com/job/advertising-and-membership-manager-southern-maine/65652616/

06/02/2022

At our Centennial Celebration at the Poland Spring Resort on May 19th, the Maine Tourism Association inducted into the Hall of Fame all Maine tourism employees. These workers are the backbone of this industry and without them, tourism in Maine would not have the success it has had over the past 100 years! Thank you all for your continued hard work and dedication to our visitors!

This year, the Maine Tourism Association inducted into its Hall of Fame all Maine tourism employees. These workers are the backbone of this industry and without…

03/21/2022

In partnership with the Retail Association of Maine, we are excited to announce the launch of From Maine to Ukraine, a relief program in partnership with the Retail Association of Ukraine (RAU).

Starting today through April 1, all Maine State Visitor Information Centers will be accepting donations of food.

Drop off Locations: To find the nearest Maine State Visitor Information Center, please go to mainetourism.com/plan/visitor-information-centers/

To find out more information about From Maine To Ukraine, visit retailmaine.org/ukraine-relief

02/28/2022

Join us in celebrating Maine Tourism Association's Centennial Year at our Centennial Gala & Golf Tournament May 19th & 20th.

This will be a fun night of celebrating MTA as well as the last 100 years of tourism in Maine. It will include a cocktail hour, historical tours of the property, a plated dinner with our Hall of Fame Award, and entertainment into the night by Maine's own The Mallett Brothers Band! We encourage everyone to stay and join us for breakfast and the Centennial Golf Tournament on Friday, May 20th at the Poland Spring Golf Course!

Register for the Centennial Gala here: mainetourismgala.rsvpify.com
Register for the Golf Tournament here: mainetourismgolf.rsvpify.com

12/01/2020

11/30/2020

“MTA is pleased that additional funds are being made available to the state’s tourism businesses that have struggled greatly over the past nine months,” said Tony Cameron, CEO of Maine Tourism Association. “Well over 100,000 people are employed in these businesses. This funding will help these employees to have jobs and help businesses survive and recover as we head into a new year.”

Governor Janet Mills announced today an economic recovery grant program to support Maine’s tourism, hospitality, and retail small businesses. Backed by $40 million in Federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF), the Tourism, Hospitality & Retail Recovery Grant Program is focused specifically ...

11/30/2020

MTA is hosting a Workshare Webinar with DOL Commissioner Fortman on Thursday, December 3, 10 AM – 11 AM

If your business is experiencing a temporary downturn in work that is not related to a seasonal downturn, you and your employees may be eligible for the Maine Department of Labor’s WorkShare program.

The WorkShare program allows employers to voluntarily reduce the hours of staff in lieu of layoffs. Employees are allowed to collect a partial unemployment benefit to help them offset the loss of income.

The Maine Tourism Association is hosting a webinar with Commissioner Laura Fortman and Deputy Commissioner Kimberly Smith of the Maine Department of Labor on Thursday, December 3, at 10 AM for anyone interested in learning more.

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mB1BmFkiQIqQTU9qANqb1Q

11/03/2020

MTA is holding a food drive at each of the Maine State Visitor Information Centers from November 5th - 22nd to benefit local food pantries! For more information, visit: https://www.mainetourism.com/event/annual-food-drive/3464/

Food will be collected at the north and southbound visitor information centers on I-95.

10/19/2020

The president and CEO of the retailers' trade group sits down with Mainebiz to talk about how his industry, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, is also weathering it. And Picard is already thinking about the holiday shopping season.

09/25/2020

While testing for travelers from Massachusetts and other exempt states is not required, it remains a recommended practice to protect the health and safety of visitors and Maine people

09/15/2020

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Chris Fogg.

As many know, Chris served as the CEO of MTA for five years and was the Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, he worked for the State Chamber of Commerce in Vermont.

Chris was truly passionate about tourism and was genuinely dedicated to promoting our industry. He strove to make MTA the best organization it could be for its members, employees, and visitors. Chris created a collaborative and hard-working office environment but one that always had plenty of laughter and fun.

Fogg Family Memorial Fund:

An account has been created to support Chris’ sons in their future endeavors. Contributions can be made payable to the Fogg Family Memorial Fund and be mailed to either Erin Fogg, 50 School House Dr., Farmingdale, ME, 04344, or c/o Kennebec Savings Bank, 1 Northern Avenue, Farmingdale, ME, 04344.

Share Memories of Christopher & Support the Fogg Family

09/09/2020

U.S. Travel Association reminding us all to plan our next getaway!

This is "Let's Go There (:90 seconds)" by U.S. Travel on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

07/30/2020

The Maine Office of Tourism today released “Wear a Mask” posters in two sizes that are printable. While businesses are not required to use these, they can be helpful as they have the state seal and are clearly government issued:

11 X 17:
https://motpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Wear_A_Mask_Poster_11x17.pdf

8.5 x 11:
https://motpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Wear_A_Mask_Poster_8.5x11.pdf

07/24/2020

07/07/2020

Here is a look at the Let's Be Kind PSA by our partners at Retail Association of Maine, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association

07/07/2020

Do you work in the tourism industry? Join The Bangor Daily News reporters for a listening session about your field. BDN wants to learn from you what issues are on your mind, how you are adapting, and what you need to help navigate the new and changing environment.

Please share this listening session info and registration link with your tourism industry partners.

When: Thursday, July 9
Time: 2pm
One Hour
Registration Link: https://bit.ly/bdnallearsmainetourism

07/02/2020

When you think of Maine, you imagine our beautiful rocky coastline, our majestic sprawling forests, our thriving cities and towns, our lakes, our camps, our beaches, and our mountains. That's why more than 21.8 million visitors spent one or more nights in Maine on tourism-related trips ...

06/26/2020

They launched the 'Let's Be Kind' campaign Thursday in response to repeated incidents of anger and hostility by customers.

06/12/2020

06/12/2020

Tune into HospitalityMaine's page at 11AM today for a live stream of the Hospitality & Tourism Alliance Press Conference!

06/09/2020

Yesterday, Governor Mills announced further changes to Maine’s travel restrictions.

You can find further information on our website at mainetourism.com/travel-resources-covid-19/

Important changes to note are:

* Residents of Vermont and New Hampshire may travel to Maine beginning Friday, June 12, with no quarantine requirement and no COVID testing required.

* Beginning July 1, visitors from all other states may come to Maine and stay in commercial lodging establishments if they either quarantine for 14 days in Maine at a commercial lodging establishment OR sign a Certificate of Compliance stating that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arrival in Maine, that they will quarantine in Maine for 14 days, or that they have already completed their quarantine in Maine.

* Travelers will be encouraged to test in their home state, however, the Governor’s statement says that the “greater access to safe and accessible testing will also extend to tourists, seasonal workers, and other visitors to Maine,” so if visitors arrive without having been tested, they should be able to test here without a separate order from a health care provider.

The health and safety of our visitors is our top priority. The Maine Tourism Association will keep visitors up to date with current closures, travel precautions, and resources related to COVID-19.

06/05/2020

Celebrate Maine's 200 years of statehood by proudly displaying the official Bicentennial logo flag!

Purchase your flag here: https://maine-tourism-association.myshopify.com/collections/all

05/14/2020

Effective immediately, Maine lodging providers can begin accepting future reservations for stays with an arrival date of June 1st and beyond for Maine residents and for non-residents who comply with the State’s 14-day quarantine requirement.

Also, the checklists for Stage 2 businesses scheduled to reopen on June 1 have been posted. This includes lodging and campgrounds- those checklists can be found here:
maine.gov/decd/covid-19-prevention-checklists

Department of Economic and Community Development also posts additional COVID-19 Prevention Checklists to help businesses prepare for Stage 2 & FAQs to answer common questions The Mills Administration announced that, effective immediately, Maine lodging providers can begin accepting future reservatio...

05/12/2020

Here is the video of our open letter to Governor Janet Mills on the impact of the 14 day quarantine on Maine's tourism industry. You can download or share the vimeo link here: https://vimeo.com/417677121

You can also find a copy of the letter on mainetourism.com/letter

05/12/2020

The Maine Tourism Association along with our partners from the Tourism Industry which include, Retail Association of Maine, HospitalityMaine, Ski Maine Association, Maine Camping Guide, Visit Portland Maine and Visit Greater Bangor Maine, have crafted an open letter to Governor Mills requesting the removal of the 14-day quarantine for visitors to Maine this summer. We want to work collaboratively to find a way to welcome Maine's summer visitors and continue to keep our employees and visitors safe and healthy.

05/06/2020

We are proud to share our video, Voices of Maine Tourism, highlighting our members talking about the challenges of the pandemic crisis, what they are doing to survive the current situation, and their optimism about an eventual recovery.

The release of this video, Voices of Maine Tourism, coincides with the start of National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), an annual celebration created by Congress in 1983 to underscore the economic power of travel in the U.S. Maine Tourism Association U.S. Travel Association Destinations International

You can find the video here: https://vimeo.com/415231338

04/30/2020

The Maine Tourism Association and Poland Spring Natural Spring Water, part of the Nestlé Waters North America family, today announced the official launch of “The Maine Tourism Relief Fund, Founded by Poland Spring and the Maine Tourism Association.” Thanks to a generous donation of $100,000 by Poland Spring and the work of the Maine Tourism Association, one-time grants will be made available to Maine’s tourism businesses and employees who have been impacted by a loss of business, or decrease in income, due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Applications will open on Monday, May 4th. We hope that by providing this fund, we can protect the industries that Mainers and visitors alike will enjoy for many years to come. For more information, to apply, or to donate to the fund, visit our website: https://www.mainetourism.com/maine-tourism-relief-fund

The Maine Tourism Relief Fund, Founded by Poland Spring and the Maine Tourism Association was created to provide relief to small businesses and their employees experiencing great hardship as a result of business closures in the state due to COVID-19.

05/30/2018

Recently the Maine Tourism Association launched the second generation of the “I Am Maine Tourism” campaign highlighting Maine's largest industry and the positive impact a strong tourism economy has on all sectors of Maine's economy. In this new series, there are six 30-second spots each highlighting a different type of tourism job, from hotel management, to a chef, to guide services, to education, plus a three-minute compilation video.

05/24/2018

Recently the Maine Tourism Association launched the second generation of the “I Am Maine Tourism” campaign highlighting Maine's largest industry and the positive impact a strong tourism economy has on all sectors of Maine's economy. In this new series, there are six 30-second spots each highlighting a different type of tourism job, from hotel management, to a chef, to guide services, to education, plus a three-minute compilation video. Here is the sixth video in the series highlighting an owner of a Maine resort.