AUGUSTA — House District 94 Representative Vicki Doudera, D-Camden, testified Tuesday before the Joint Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business in support of a bill she cosponsored to help fund the Maine Office of Tourism’s marketing efforts.

LD 246 is a resolve to take unspent funds from the Maine Office of Tourism and allocate them to the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund in the upcoming fiscal year.

“Tourism is an important economic engine for our area, and the state as whole, with Maine bringing in approximately $2.0 billion in taxable sales for winter and summer visitation,” Rep. Doudera said, in a news release. “This sector was one of the hardest hit from the pandemic, and despite Mainers’ perseverance, grit and creativity, employers and employees face continuing challenges.”

As a former innkeeper, Rep. Doudera noted in a news release she knows how important the state’s marketing efforts are to local restaurants, inns, campgrounds, windjammers, and shops.

“Tourists have choices when it comes to where to visit, and Maine needs to have a strong marketing presence regionally and nationally in order to compete with other destinations,” she said. 

Rep. Doudera noted vacation visits often lead tourists to choose Maine as their permanent place to live, work and raise their families.

“The tourism industry is important to our area in so many ways, so I’m glad to cosponsor and support legislation that helps it recover by bolstering efforts to promote our beautiful state as a safe and welcoming tourist destination,” she said.