The outdoor recreation industry is responsible for a significant portion of southern Maine’s economy, attracting 5.5 million visitors in 2020 and generating $188.6 million in annual sales.
The industry also contributed nearly $105.3 million to the regional gross domestic product and represented 12% of Maine’s total outdoor recreation.
The findings came in a report commissioned by the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission and conducted by Camoin Associates, an economic development consulting firm with offices in Portland.
“We saw a need for this report because we recognize the potential for outdoor recreation to drive our economy in southern Maine,” Paul Schumacher, the commission’s executive director, said in a news release.