It has been an incredible privilege to lead the Maine Office of Tourism for nearly six years working with a supportive administration, strong staff and exceptional tourism industry.  I am excited, yet sad at the same time, to let you know that I will soon be moving on to become the Executive Director of Maine Huts and Trails.  It was a very difficult decision to leave a job I enjoy and was honored to hold.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with remarkable people and partners throughout the entire state. Thank you for your continued passion, dedication and support of the efforts of the Maine Office of Tourism.  It’s a remarkable team.

Happy Holidays and best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2017!

Carolann Ouellette

Restaurant and Lodging Sales – Maine Revenue Services has reported substantial increases in restaurant and lodging taxable sales for January through September 2016 over the same period in 2015.  Year-to-date through September 2016, combined Restaurant and Lodging Taxable Sales increased by 7.25% over the same period last year. Restaurant Taxable Sales increased by 5.53% and Lodging Taxable Sales increased by 12.35% month over month in September 2016 over September 2015.

Snow Report - The Maine Office of Tourism will launch a weekly “Snow Report” for Winter 2017 in partnership with the Ski Maine Association and the Maine Snowmobile Association, with a kick-off on the first day of winter on December 21^st. The format will be similar to the 6-week Fall Foliage Report, with state-wide conditions for winter sports distributed through press releases and on the MOT’s digital and social media channels, so you can always find the snow!

2017 Governor’s Conference on Tourism Awards - Is there someone you think is deserving of recognition? Send us your nominations of outstanding people, businesses and organizations in our industry that are helping to advance the growth of tourism in Maine. The deadline is January 9th to submit nominations. Awards will be presented at the 2017 Governor’s Conference on Tourism to be held March 14 & 15 in Augusta. Click here to download the nomination form and guidelines.

Maine Motorcoach Network Profile Book – Deadline extended! The November profile sheet and payment submissions deadline has been extended to January 15, 2017.   The book will be ready for all the 2017 Motorcoach Tour industry shows and sales missions, and will also be updated online. The cost to participate is $99.00 - contact mainetours@gmail.com to be included. 

Virtual Reality, Big Data, and Multiple Channel Marketing – These are the Top 3 travel marketing trends to watch in 2017 according to a report by digital marketing advisors at Smart Insights. Read more.

Mobile-friendly Sites for SEO –Google will begin testing a mobile-first index, wherein the mobile version of a site will be considered the “primary” version for the purposes of search rankings, according to a recent Search Engine Land newsletter explaining why optimizing for mobile-friendly devices is no longer optional. Read more.

Transformational Travel -Trips that change people’s lives will be among the major travel trends for 2017, according to experts speaking at the inaugural Magrino Travel Summit last month. Read more projected trends for 2017.

#MaineThing Arts Twitter Chat – #MaineThing was trending after the MOT Maine Arts focused Twitter Chat on December 6. 28 participants weighed in on all things Maine Arts in response to questions regarding favorite formats, most inspiring Maine locations and seasons, and favorite museums, exhibits, galleries and works of art. The chat resulted in over 1,600 impressions for the most popular questions. Follow the Maine Office of Tourism on Twitter @VisitMaine.

November Results - PR direct results in November include a Maine feature in a USAToday article on Best States for Fall Trips; Maine inclusion in a New Zealand Herald article “Follow the Light, A road trip through New England”; a Brick Store Museum story in MilesGeek.com; a feature on nature trails in Acadia National Park in partnership with TrekAmerica; and Maine as one of the Best states for a November trip in a msn.com feature. To connect your business with travel writers visiting Maine, join our PR Partners program.

“Maine Cabin Masters” premieres January 9 on DIY Network - Maine builder Chase Morrill is teaming up with his brother, sister and best friend to save and transform abandoned properties buried deep in the remote woods of Maine, from historic cottages nearly a century old, to camp cabins in need of some major TLC. To watch the trailer and for more details follow them on Facebook @MaineCabinMasters.

Ontario Motorcoach Association Annual Marketplace - The Maine Office of Tourism held 25 meetings with group tour operators from Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Canada, and Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania at the OMCA Marketplace in November.

American Bus Association Marketplace - Are you “group-ready”? Place your business in front of qualified tour operators at the ABA Marketplace, January 14-17, 2017 in Cleveland, OH. Every January, the American Bus Association welcomes the travel and tourism community to the first conference of the year  - ABA's Annual Meeting & Marketplace. More than 3,500 tour operators, suppliers and exhibitors come together to kick off a new year of business opportunity and growth.  The Maine Office of Tourism and the Maine Motorcoach Network would like to provide you with the opportunity to promote your business as a sponsor of our booth. Read more.

MOT Consumer Travel Show Schedule –

• Washington DC Travel Adventure Show - January 14-15, 2017
• New York Times Travel Show - January 27-29, 2017
• Great American Outdoor Show, Harrisburg PA - February 4-12, 2017
• Boston Globe Travel Show - February 10-12, 2017
• Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show - February 24-26, 2017
• World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition - March 2-5, 2017
• Philadelphia Travel Adventure Show - March 25-26, 2017
• Ottawa Travel & Vacation Show - March 25-26, 2017
• Montreal Outdoor Adventure Show- April 1-2, 2017