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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 2 5 F O C U S M I D C O A S T / D OW N E A S T now. Initially, it might have been the last week of June, then the third week, then the second week. is is the first season we've seen the first week of June have relatively high demand." e final numbers aren't in, but pre- 2020, the market was at 50% occupancy in May, and maybe 70% in June. Now it's 60% in May and 90% in June. "It's really increased," Marichal says. Government shutdown e consensus is that the federal gov- ernment shutdown this fall had little effect on business. Because Acadia stayed relatively open, "We saw mini- mal impacts from the business per- spective," says Eaton. Woodside agrees: "e park was open, the trails were open. I don't think visitation went down at all. " "e park was still busy and the town was still busy," says Bond. "I can't say I saw a huge first-hand impact." Young, whose properties include an inn, was initially concerned as the shut- down loomed, when some guests called about refunds. "I was thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, everyone is going to cancel their trips,'" she recalls. "But when they realized the park was still acces- sible, they came. People come here for the park." Salvatore credits the National Park Service and Acadia Superinten- dent Kevin Schneider for maintain- ing operations. "October is a vital time of year for visitation," says Salvatore. "e park employees were wonderful for maintain- ing services as best they could." Bar Harbor's strength as Acadia's gateway town and a prime destination itself helps the business community weather challenges, says Eaton. "Bar Harbor has quite a name rec- ognition across the country," he says. "at's been built up over years and years of people working hard to ensure Bar Harbor is an exceptional place to work, live and visit." L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t l s c h r e i b e r @ m a i n e b i z . b i z Consigli Construction Co., Inc. Construction Managers & General Contractors | consigli.com Building Maine's Most Complex Projects Photography Credit: Michael Moran Bowdoin College John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies & Barry Mills Hall JOIN OUR TEAM Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation Photography Credit: Blind Dog Photo Associates Tuesday, May 12, 2026 1:30PM-8:00PM USM Abromson Center See More Keynote Speaker Amanda Rector, State of Maine Economist Maine Economic & Business Outlook Workshops Growth Through Acquisition: Buying or Selling a Small Business From Chaos to Clarity: Time Management Strategies That Scale with You Must see topics! When you remove cruise ships, it feels quieter. The town's still full. It's just not overflowing. — Jeremy Dougherty Witham Family Hotels P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R David Woodside, president of Acadia Corp., says company stores such as Acadia Shop had a good year overall but some decreases due to fewer cruise ship passengers.

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