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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 Traveling to a new place e area will get another boost in September, when the annual 10-day BikeMaine trek runs from Presque Isle to St. Agatha. e event, which this year will have 450 bicyclists, has had a $2.3 million impact on the state since it began in 2012, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine says. BikeMaine won the Originality Award this year from the Maine Office of Tourism. e event is a complement to Maine's cultural offerings, says Frank Gallagher, communications director for the coalition. "It's a tour, it's a ride," he says. "You experience the world, stop when you want to stop and experi- ence cultural attractions, businesses, natural features." e coalition's "Where to Ride" app allows bicyclists to not only punch in an area and what kind of ride they want, but what type of cultural attrac- tions they want to see. Of last year's 400 participants, 240 were from 40 other states, provinces or countries. is year, about half of the 450 registered riders are from Maine. "I think so many people in Maine really want to see Aroostook County," he says. "It's an extraordinary part of the state." What BikeMaine does on a small scale, CruiseMaine does on a much larger one. Last year, more than 380,000 cruise ship passengers visited the state, according to CruiseMaine.. While the large majority of visi- tors to Maine are from New England and Canada, the ships bring in people outside of that group, Todd Gabe, a University of Maine economics profes- sor, told Mainebiz last year. Gabe, who co-authored an economic impact study published in February 2017, said visitors were coming from states like Florida and California. "e ships really open up the state to people that other- wise wouldn't come to Maine," Gabe said. McAvoy, of CMCA, says that once people are in Maine, they are looking for an authentic experience. When CMCA moved from Rockport to Rockland two years ago, the new center was built with a glass front to "break down barriers between art and life." "ey may be coming off a cruise ship, or here for a windjammer cruise, they're walking by and are intrigued by the architecture, and it draws them in," she says. Well-rounded experience In Rockport, the number of yearly visitors topped out at 9,000. Last year, the first full year the center was open in Rockland, it had nearly 40,000. "For a long time, we were in an out-of-the-way place, with no park- ing, no visibility," McAvoy says. "We really weren't a tourist destination. e audience was really artists." Cruise ships help — in 2017, seven cruise ships with a total of more than 10,000 passengers docked in Rockland. e city is expecting nine this year. But she says they're also part of the general regional attraction. "People want a well-rounded experience," McAvoy says. "In the morning they may want to go kayaking, in the evening they may go to a gallery, or a performance." Rockland has also become an arts center for the state, and CMCA is part of a bigger picture. She says that examples like the Berkshires in Massachusetts show that a cluster of cultural attractions can boost an area as a destination. CMCA is joined in Rockland by the Farnsworth Art Museum and a legacy of being a haven for artists. And on a larger scale, it's also part of the Maine Art Museum Trail, nine museums that stretch from Ogunquit to Bar Harbor. While visitor attention may be increasing, arts and culture as a lure to Maine is nothing new, she says. She cites Cole and the other landscape painters who trekked to Mount Desert Island to paint wild Maine two centuries ago. People saw the paintings. "And they wanted to see the places for themselves," McAvoy says. "e idea of cultural tourism in Maine has been part of the state's history for a long time." Maureen Milliken, Mainebiz staff writer, can be reached at mmilliken @ mainebiz.biz Stay informed, engaged and connected with a print + digital subscription to Mainebiz. You'll receive bi-weekly issues, special publications and full online access! F U L L C O N T E N T S O N PA G E 4 F O C U S S O U T H E R N M A I N E Southern Maine builds on diverse industries S O U T H E R N M A I N E F O C U S Economy motion S O U T H E R N M A I N E F O C U S S TA R T S O N PA G E 1 1 » in $2.00 July 10, 2017 VO L . X X I I I N O. X V www.mainebiz.biz Know Maine Business. 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Mention this ad for 50% off of your first pick-up and delivery order. Service and dispatch: 848-7546 Sales and information: 800-427-7547 UnishipCourier.com Rates as low as $15 for same day pickup/delivery 2017 MAINE TOURISM NUMBERS S OU R C E: Maine Office of Tourism 2017 Visitor Tracking Research/prepared by DPA, Portland First-time visits Intend to recommend Maine Overnight 19% Overnight 93% Day 8% Day 96% Overnight 19% Overnight 93% Day 8% Day 96% Visitor origins New England 62% Mid- Atlantic 29% Canada 9% U.S. 90% Canada 10% Overnight Day New England 62% U.S. 90% Canada 10% Mid- Atlantic 29% Canada 9% Intend to visit in next two years Day visitors extending stay 63% Overnight 76% Day 89% 63% Overnight 76% Day 89% 63% of day visitors likely to visit Maine in the next two years say they will "definitely stay overnight" on their next visit.

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