COVER STORY

Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce president Dick Ingram stands with tugboats in the background during a recent photo shoot. Amy Root-Donle

Beach-goers, boaters and other visitors please take a bow: You play a starring role in the region's economy. When other more cyclical industries plateau or face serious trouble, the steady tourism sector in Maine and New Hampshire serves as the great equalizer.

More than 1 in 10 jobs in Maine are in tourism, representing a $3.8 billion payroll. New Hampshire estimates tourism supports 66,700 full- and part-time jobs. State budgets, meanwhile, get their own sort of jackpot. Maine's 2003 estimate is $549 million. Visitors to New Hampshire paid $112.5 million in rooms and meals taxes in 2005.

And now the really good news on the eve of the 2007 summer season: Presidents of the Hampton, Portsmouth and York Region chambers of commerce say they have seen no signs that high gas prices have slowed the arrival of day, overnight and long-term travelers.

People may change their vacationing habits, but they still go on vacation, said Dick Ingram, president of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Cathy Goodwin, president of the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce, said one trend is more visitors are inclined to seek efficiencies in their lodging. They still dine out for lobster and seafood, but prepare some of their meals to save money. At the same time, Goodwin says travelers are more active.

"People definitely want things to do when they come. They're not just sun worshipers," she says. "Their plan is to come and experience this area, to learn about this area."

Kayaking, surfing, museum trips, and hikes along the coast and Mount Agamenticus are as popular as ever, according to Goodwin. And with the Internet, visitors are hip to new ideas and potentially better deals.

Tourism officials in both states say they are seeing more Canadian visitors, a trend they hope will continue through the summer.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci announced last year the Vacation State recorded 9.7 million overnight trips, with visitor expenditures representing a 15 percent increase from 2004 to 2005.

"More people are choosing Maine as a vacation destination and that is great news for our economy," Baldacci said in a statement.

The latest statistics from the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism show steady growth. In 2005, tourism generated an estimated $5.6 billion in direct and indirect spending in the Granite State. The overall economic impact is nearly $10 billion, according to the state.

Tourism leaders are not resting on their laurels. They are constantly working with businesses and visitors' bureaus to market getaways. During a tourism summit in Portsmouth in March, the experts spoke of making the Seacoast a destination for every type of vacationer.

"The authenticity of the experience," Ingram says of the destination promotion. "Portsmouth is attractive because it's not Disneyland. It's the real world with a working port and a real community."

Victoria Cimino, communications director for the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism, says the state will continue to advertise the getaway and vacation opportunities to maximize the return on its investment. For every $1 spent by the Division of Travel and Tourism, $8.51 is returned in the form of state and local taxes and fees, according to studies conducted for the state.

While the Seacoast has long been a destination for thousands upon thousands of vacationers, visitors can now see all the region has to offer without getting into their cars.

Besides the Downeaster passenger rail service — with stops in Exeter, Durham and Dover in New Hampshire and Wells, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Portland in Maine — the York County Community Action agency created a transit network last year that linked private and public trolley services with hotel shuttle service and regional bus services. The goal was to expand transit options and reduce traffic congestion on Route 1 between York and Kennebunkport. It worked. More than 44,000 riders used the network. Earlier this year, Connie Garber of York County Community Action won a Maine Tourism Award for the network.