Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 M AY 3 , 2 0 2 1 F O C U S H O S P I TA L I T Y / T O U R I S M Getting outside ose searches mirror the calls Experience Maine's Rachel Sagiroglu is getting. "I think it's just going to be a really crazy year," she says. She is the founder of the two-year-old company, which puts together custom Maine travel pack- ages. "I've just been inundated for the past three weeks." As Conde Nast Traveler wrote, and those in Maine's tourism industry back up, the pandemic has driven new interest in Maine. It has what people are looking for. e COVID-19 vaccine seems to be the driver for many of the people who contact Sagiroglu. "People make it a point to say they're vaccinated, or they're getting vaccinated," she says. "It's made people feel more comfortable." Lewis, of HospitalityMaine, says the vaccine has played a big part in the uptick the organization's lodging customers are seeing. But, he adds, "We were experienc- ing strong summer interest even before the vaccine. We were getting calls before the vaccine, and they weren't saying 'Can I come?'" he says, they were saying they were getting vaccinated and coming. "e trend is outdoor adventures, big wide open spaces and lots of fresh air," Sagiroglu says. at's coupled with the fact that people who would normally travel out of the country are looking for domes- tic vacations instead. "I'm getting a lot of calls from peo- ple who would normally go to Cairo or Italy and they're not doing that this year," Sagiroglu says. She's not only getting calls from tra- ditional visitor areas like Massachusetts and the rest of the Northeast, but places like Texas, Michigan and Wisconsin. Sagiroglu says Maine's wide-open spaces and outdoors options are at the forefront of many of her custom- ers' minds. "ere's still caution, they still want to be safe," she says. She says her clients are still look- ing for health measures, things like a private lobster boat tour instead of a group one with strangers, or lodging with a separate outside door, rather than a big public lobby. One thing most ask about, she says, is outdoor dining. She's happy to talk about how it's caught on in Maine, both in Portland and other towns and cities. Cameron says the move to outdoor dining after years of resistance, has been a huge boost to both local commerce and attracting visitors. "Restaurants found a way to do it, and it has paid off," he says. Lobsters, lighthouses Visitors are still mainly focused on coastal areas. Lewis says the strongest indicators are in the coastal areas, particularly southern Maine, Portland and Bar Harbor. at's what Sagiroglu sees, too. "Coastal vacations are still the most popular," she says. She tries to steer customers who are on an extended visit to see inland areas as well. She recently partnered with Amanda Davis, of Maine Travel Advisor, who special- izes in outdoor adventure vacations and sustainable tourism, to give Experience Maine customers more options. Cameron says the Maine Tourism Association, particularly at its visitor cen- ters along the Maine Turnpike and the interstates, tries to steer tourists to inland attractions as well. "We expose people to more of what Maine has to offer and highlight those opportunities," he says. One of the most attractive things about Maine are the small independent operators and the type of "old school" service they offer, Lewis says. "Visitors feel welcomed, they feel special." Ultimately, the key to a good season is the same thing that got the state's tourism industry through the past year. While some businesses didn't make it through the year, and some still don't know if they will or not, the tourism industry as a whole showed how resilient and adaptable it is, Cameron says. "2020 was an unreal situation," he says. "I hope we never have to do that again. But the flip side was it was incredible to see how quickly businesses adapted, and they did an incredible job. ey put pro- tections and protocols in place, and still were able to take care of guests. e last thing people want to do when they come to Maine is worry about a pandemic. ey want to relax and have fun." He adds, "at's what Maine does best. at's why people come here." Maureen Milliken, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at mmilliken @ mainebiz.biz BATH SAVINGS TRUST COMPANY IS A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF BATH SAVINGS INSTITUTION. BATH SAVINGS TRUST COMPANY IS A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF BATH SAVINGS INSTITUTION. INVESTMENT PRODUCTS ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FDIC, ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF INVESTMENT PRODUCTS ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FDIC, ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF THE BANK, AND ARE NOT GUARANTEED BY THE BANK. 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Lavache Vice President, Trust Officer P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F E X P E R I E N C E M A I N E Rachel Sagiroglu, founder of Experience Maine

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