It is my pleasure to announce that the current Maine Office of Tourism marketing director, Steve Lyons, will take on the role of Acting Director for the Office of Tourism. Many of you know Steve, who is an 18-year veteran of the MOT and has played a large role in the successful effort to promote the tourism industry in our state.

With this appointment I feel confident that the office will experience a smooth transition, and continue to execute the program that has proved so effective in building visitation and awareness of Maine as a ‘must-do’ travel destination.

It is my intention to work closely with Steve, the MOT staff, and you as we all work together towards providing great experiences for our visiting guests discovering their "Maine Thing".

As always, please feel free to reach out to me and to the staff at the Office of Tourism, and thank you for partnering with us in building this important industry sector for Maine.

Best regards,
George Gervais
Commissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development

2017 Travel Indicators - With lower airfares and gasoline prices lower than at this time of year in 2016, indicators say that 2017 could be the Year of Travel according to Travel Pulse News.

2017 Social Media - Sprout Social says new algorithms introduced in 2016 will make it difficult for businesses to reach their audience with strictly organic content in their list of 6 Social Media Trends that will take over 2017.

Enterprise and Special Event Marketing Grants - MOT's Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program has awarded seven Enterprise Marketing Grants and one Special Event Marketing Grant in the Fall 2016 grant cycle, in support of marketing initiatives to stimulate and expand Maine's travel industry. The funding will support projects planned for 2017. Grant recipients are:

December Results - PR direct results in December included an Oxygene Magazine (Canada) story on active outdoors in the Carrabassett Valley region, a USA Today faceoff between Portland, OR and Portland, ME,  a feature on Maine's Acadian culture by BordersOfAdventure.com, inclusion in a Boston Globe feature on state parks, and stories in National Geographic Traveler (The Netherlands), and OK! Magazine (UK).

Snow Report -  A December press release announcing Maine's new weekly Snow Report was picked up by news outlets from Maine to as far away as San Francisco and Roanoke, reaching close to 100,000 readers. The weekly Snow Report releases are produced in partnership with the Ski Maine Association and Maine Snowmobile Association for distribution each Wednesday during winter 2017, and are linked from the homepage of VisitMaine.com.

PR Partners - The MOT's PR Partners program helps connect Maine's tourism industry and the wealth of travel experiences you offer to travel media and tourism decision makers who have influence on the traveling public. We are pleased to bring you this program as a service and welcome your involvement. Find details at VisitMaine.com.

Maine Tourism Association - The Maine Tourism Association has launched a new campaign highlighting Maine's largest industry and the positive impact a strong tourism economy has on all sectors of Maine's economy. The campaign, I Am Maine Tourism, features seven videos with individuals from seven diverse backgrounds telling in their own words how tourism plays an important role in their profession and business. Watch the compilation video.

Live and Work in Maine - LiveandWorkinMaine.com has been redesigned to include a job board to help Maine employers attract, retain and grow talent in Maine. The new functionality for the website, developed in partnership with the State of Maine, allows employers the option of having job seekers apply through the site or via a direct link to their own career page.
Employers are invited to create a new Recruiter Account and post their internships and current job opportunities. Click here to download a Quick-Start Guide PDF for your reference.