Visitor center to celebrate 25 years

    HOULTON — The Maine Tourism Association is proud to announce that the Visitor Information Center at Houlton is celebrating its Silver Anniversary on October 4 with a reception from 11:30 to 2 p.m.  at the Center featuring Aroostook County baked potatoes. The public is cordially invited to attend. Special guests include a presentation from Director of the Office of Tourism, Pat Elkman.    One of seven information centers operated by the Maine Tourism Association for the State of Maine, Office of Tourism, the Houlton Visitor Information Center has been providing service to Maine’s visitors and tourism industry since 1982.
    This “Gateway to Maine” from Canada serves approximately 40,000 visitors each year and provides a charming and welcoming stop when traveling to and from Aroostook County and Canada.
    The rustic, log building is located just off I-95 at Exit 302 and includes a large outdoor area with benches, picnic tables, grills and a playground for children.   
    An important part of the Aroostook County community, on display in the center is a beautiful Country Quilt containing squares made locally by the individual towns in the “County” and donated to the center for all visitors to enjoy.  According to Heidi Wilson, the Center Manager, “this special quilt gives the visitor a feel for Aroostook County and demonstrates the pride of its residents.”
    Maine Tourism Association is Maine’s largest tourism association, representing a wide range of tourism related businesses and interests such as restaurants, hotels, inns, bed & breakfasts, rental camps and cottages, youth camps, convenience stores, grocery stores, attractions and amusements, retail establishments and arts and heritage venues.  
    Tourism is Maine’s largest industry and employer with an economic impact that in 2004 returned $531 million in taxes to the General and Highway Funds and directly and indirectly generated $13.6 billion in sales of goods and services, provided 176,600 jobs and $3.8 billion in total payroll.  
    According to the research firm Longwood’s International, there were an estimated 8.9 million overnight trips and 34.7 day trips to Maine in 2004.  U.S. travelers to Maine spent an estimated $6.2 billion in Maine on retail, food, accommodations, recreation and transportation.     
    Maine’s tourism market is primarily a “drive market” meaning that most of Maine’s visitors travel to Maine in their vehicles to get to their destinations. In addition to Houlton there are Visitor Information Centers at Kittery, Yarmouth, Hampden North and South, Houlton, Calais and Fryeburg. The professional travel counselors in each of these centers assist over one million visitors each year with information on where to go and what to see and do in Maine.