Maine Could See A Record Number Of Memorial Day Weekend Visitors

For many people, Memorial Day Weekend is the start to their summer season.  This is definitely the case when it comes to Maine's tourist industry.

Memorial Day Weekend is when nearly all of the seasonal restaurants and attractions open for the busy summer season.  Amusement parks, restaurants, bars, and more.

Of course, the events of 2020 put a real damper on this.  The good news is that we have seen the tourist rebound since then.  And, it continues to rebound.

Actually, based on early polling, it looks like we could be in for a record start to the tourist season here in Maine.

According to data released by AAA, about 37 million of us are expected to take to the road over Memorial Day Weekend.  Many of those people will be making their way from the cities like New York and Boston to visit us here in New England.

When we look at all forms of travel, about 42.3 million Americans will hit the travel this Memorial Day Weekend.  That is near pre-pandemic numbers.  In 2019, 42.8 million Americans traveled over the long holiday weekend.

In 2022, just under a million people visited Maine over the holiday.  That was quite a bit short of the record of over a million set in 2019.  For several reasons, we could see a new record set this year.

In addition to some people still just getting back to normal after the pandemic, the economy also comes into play.  Times are tough for a lot of people, but everyone still wants to have fun.  A trip to Maine can be an affordable alternative to much more expensive vacations.  A thousand bucks to take the family to Maine compared to four grand for a cruise.  Right?

If you are planning to get on the road for the long holiday, keep in mind there are some bad times to travel and some less bad times to travel.

According to AAA, the worst times to hit the road will be 3 PM to 6 PM on Thursday and Friday.  And, between Noon and 3 PM on Monday.  If you are lucky enough to be able to stay an extra night, and leave on Tuesday, the majority of the day should be clear.

Regardless of where you are going, please be safe!