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V O L . X X I N O. V I I A P R I L 6 , 2 0 1 5 20 T wo neighboring nations. One gorgeous region with a rich heritage that happens to span both sides of the boundary line. Why not join forces and promote both sides as a single tourism package? at's the aim of a "Two-Nation Vacation" campaign launched by Down East Maine and New Brunswick. e cross-border tourism partnership is designed to increase visitation for both regions. e pack- age entices travelers to take advantage of scenic drives and boat tours that cross the border, and along the way visit coastal towns, natural vistas, cul- tural heritage sites, festivities — and patronize businesses along the way. "It's inspired us to look at our shared resources and started us talking about how to create partnerships and fi nd ways to package and promote them, not only to visitors but also to people who live here," says Crystal Hitchings, plan- ner at the Washington County Council of Governments, which oversees the DownEast & Acadia Regional Tourism eff ort. "Businesses are starting to use the term 'two-nation vacation' on their own websites and in their advertising. We're starting to incorporate the idea into our branding for chambers of commerce and businesses." A year into the marketing program, Hitchings and other tourism offi cials are trying to broaden the awareness of the "two nation" appeal. Cross-border opportunities are packaged in numer- ous ways. ere's the 125-mile "Bold Coast Scenic Byway," an international transportation network extending along the coast of Maine and into the Canadian Maritimes. e "Downeast Fisheries Trail" takes in marinas, light- houses, coves, museums and the like. ere are lighthouse and fi shing village tours, an international sculp- ture trail, wine trails, birding trails, national and state parks, Roosevelt Campobello International Park, out- door recreation opportunities, and dual-sided music and arts off erings, including "Artsipelago," the pro- motional name for art and cultural activities of islands, peninsulas and adjacent areas on the international border. Festivals abound, celebrating seafood, blueberry chocolate, buskers, folk art and more. Promotions focus on the diff erences and similarities between Maine and New Brunswick, off ering a story hook and another way of talking about the assets of both regions. For example, visitors are urged to compare local cuisines: "Each side boasts the world's best chowder," reads the Two-Nation Vacation website. Runners can partici- pate in the Bay of Fundy International Marathon — Maine to Canada and back. e International Lighthouse and Lobster Festival for Campobello and Lubec leverages icons for both sides. An International Lighthouse Challenge maps the drive to fi ve bea- cons in the two countries. Marketers point out where events — such as the St. Stephen Chocolate Festival and the Homecoming Parade in Calais — dovetail. On New Year's Eve, a Canadian maple leaf is dropped at 11 p.m. EST (and midnight in Atlantic Time Zone) and a Maine sardine at midnight. ere's even a golf course that straddles the border; it was founded in 1929 to allow American golfers to bypass Prohibition without passing through customs. For local businesses, it's an oppor- tunity to create cross-border packages, such as e Eastland Hotel in Lubec with Capt. Riddle's Whale Watch Cruises on Campobello Island. "He gives a 10% discount to anyone we send over," says Eastland co-owner Heather Henry-Tenan. "And we do a lot of referrals. When Lubec lodgings get full, we work with Campobello. It's not like we're two separate countries." " e program's goal is to increase incremental visitation to the region, particularly targeting those within a one-day drive," Maine Offi ce of Tourism Director Carolann Ouellette says of the concept's benefi ts to busi- nesses and communities. "Leveraging resources and working collaboratively increase our overall competitiveness 1 1 1 1 1 3 95 BANGOR MACHIAS BAR HARBOR EASTPORT SAINT JOHN MAINE NEW BRUNSWICK Two-nation marketing strategy Down East Maine and New Brunswick team up to attract visitors B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r F O C U S International Sculpture Trail Tourism officials hope to entice visitors to travel between Down East Maine and New Brunswick to view works by artists from Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Egypt, Sweden, South Korea, the Republic of Georgia, Taiwan, Turkey, France and Maine. It is organized by the Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium. Maine sculpture New Brunswick sculpture S O U R C E S : Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium, Sculpture Saint John

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