Multi town board being eyed to work on tourism Downeast

How to make sure local residents benefit from the coming wave of tourism was the focus of the Community Development Academy's two hour summit, held in Machias the evening of May 16. The summit was the culmination of a three meeting sequence hosted by the Maine Office of Tourism (MOT) that drew together business and community leaders from the region, which is designated by MOT as "way Downeast" and includes Calais, Eastport, Lubec and Machias. About 100 individuals participated in the meeting; similar efforts are under way in other parts of the state. Representatives from business organizations from all four towns were involved in the effort.
That the tourists are coming is not the question, according to statistics provided by FutureIQ facilitator David Beurle and seconded the next day in a presentation by Downs & St. Germain Research to the Downeast Acadia Regional Tourism (DART) board. Driven by economic development, climate change and also the COVID pandemic, visitors are on their way.
Beurle asked the question: "What is the value proposition for visitors?" To achieve this, he said, will depend on the long term gross domestic product growth in the Downeast region, much of which will be driven by climate change pushing visitors, new residents and business opportunities from the southern part of the U.S. towards cooler northern climes. For this to be sustainable, he said, it must enhance the quality of life and create lasting benefits for local residents.
According to research provided the following day by the research firm, tourist direct spending in the Downeast and Acadia region topped $1.05 billion in 2021, a whopping 59% increase over 2020 and providing an average $3,554 tax benefit to local residents. As the region covered by the research findings included Mount Desert Island and Bar Harbor, the question becomes: "How do residents in the way Downeast region get their share of this growth without being overwhelmed?" A frequent comment in these discussions included the question: "How can we prevent this growth from eroding the very qualities that attract both visitors and residents?"
The May 16 meeting drew many from the region. They had been invited to hear about the discussions and conclusions that had been reached during the two previous day long meetings, held at the Cobscook Institute in Trescott. Beurle opened the meeting by providing a half hour summary of the earlier sessions, which by necessity hit only the highlights. The key takeaway was that for the residents to maximize the benefit from tourism, the tourists must find their visits rewarding.
Conversations with representatives from the different towns revealed a common understanding: cooperation and collaboration are the key. The towns all have unique characteristics that the others can help promote; seeing other towns as competitors will diminish the returns for all.
Structural issues exist that will require long term solutions. For instance, several restaurant owners, speaking during breaks or after the meeting closed, expressed concerns about labor shortages. If workers are brought in from distant communities, they must find affordable housing, and the aging population limits the number of local workers. For dining establishments, kitchen and seating capacity are not the issue -- serving capacity limits the number of tourists who can find meals. Similar concerns exist in other parts of the hospitality industry. As one put it, "We can't solve all the problems at once, but we can work on them one at a time."
Much of the discussion centered on determining the next step. Focusing on the need for collaboration, one participant stated, "We don't need to reinvent the wheel. We do need to know about other ideas." Plans include the establishment of a regional coalition where towns can more effectively share information and ideas such as creating a common website, making it easier for visitors to find those things that interest them, and developing a common logo. Several participants spoke about the need for better Internet coverage and also the establishment of a 5G cell network.
The next step involves reviewing Beurle's final report, expected from MOT shortly. Many expect that this will result in the creation of a multi town board charged with bringing this vision to life.