BY Susan Cover
Gov. Janet Mills shows off new signs to be placed at border crossings welcoming Canadians to Maine. (Spectrum News/Susan Cover)
KENNEBUNK — Each December, the Seaside Inn sets its rates for the coming year and sends out letters to previous guests, inviting them to send along a deposit to hold their room.
This year, something changed in February.
“By the middle of February, I had to send back almost $7,000 in deposits and these are people I know, they are friends,” said Ken Mason, inn owner. “I called each one and wanted to ask why.”
He asked them if it was the tariffs.
“They said no, it’s just basic honor,” Mason said. “Especially, the French Canadians are very very proud and it’s their honor that they said they couldn’t come back.”
Mason recalled the story Wednesday during a roundtable discussion with fellow local business owners hosted by Gov. Janet Mills. She asked what the state could do to help and said she will be meeting next month with other New England governors and Canadian officials in Boston to find out what they can do to rekindle a longstanding relationship.
Mills said the state will put up new signs at the state’s 13 border crossings to welcome Canadians and brought small signs for shop owners to hang in their windows.
She said she wants to identify what the state can do “despite the damage being done from Washington, everything from economic uncertainty to rollercoaster tariffs and efforts to disparage our Canadian friends.”
Mills’ visit to the Kennebunk area comes just days before the start of the busy summer travel season.
The outlook for the season, which typically relies heavily on the weather, is even more difficult to predict this year amid on again, off again tariffs and President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state.
Becky Jacobson, executive director of Hospitality Maine, said the summer forecast depends on “who you ask and where you’re located.”
Communities that rely heavily on Canadian visitors are seeing pushback, but others seem to be doing OK, she said. The uncertainty out of Washington coupled with rainy weekends has made for a difficult spring, she said.
“It’s been so roller coaster for the last couple of months and everybody’s waiting to see if it calms down a little bit,” she said.
Even before he was sworn in as president in January, Trump said he wanted Canada to become the 51st state. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed back more than once, even mentioning Old Orchard Beach by name in March.
“Canadians are hurt, Canadians are angry,” Trudeau said. “We’re going to choose to not go on vacation to Florida or Old Orchard Beach or wherever.”
Then in April, Gov. Janet Mills made a direct appeal to Canadians in a radio address. She said estimates show Maine could lose 225,000 visitors from Canada this year.
“While some may say having fewer tourists from Canada may allow Maine people to have ‘staycations’ themselves, let’s remember the survival of many small businesses in our hospitality sector depends on overnight visitors — those who stay longer and spend time and money in our hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions,” she said.
Mills said she’s been speaking with Canadian government leaders to reassure them Maine will welcome Canadians this summer. She said she’s thinking of visiting Canada this summer and is encouraging “Maine people to do the same with their families.”
The 2025 summer tourist season comes just five years after the industry suffered significant losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last summer, tourism declined 9%, with a 0.4% drop in direct spending, according to the Maine Office of Tourism. That translates into about 7.8 million visitors spending about $5.2 billion from May through August.
The top reason for visiting cited by tourists is to relax and unwind (35%), with sightseeing and touring a close second at 33%.
Those who do visit give Maine high marks, with 97% recommending that friends and family visit the state sometime in the future.
Tony Cameron, CEO of the Maine Tourism Association, said he’s sensing “cautious optimism” from the industry heading into the summer season. In addition to concerns about the loss of Canadian visitors, Cameron said the possibility of a recession is prompting people to delay summer vacation plans.
“Anytime there’s a threat of recession we see that,” he said. “Vacations are discretionary.”
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