October in Maine = LEAF PEEPING
By Deb Neuman
The chamber office has been receiving many calls these past weeks from people planning their trip to Maine and asking us, “When is the best time to see the fall foliage?”. While our region and the entire state host a large number of visitors during the summer months, fall has been and continues to be a very popular time for visitors to enjoy all of what Maine has to offer and the beautiful colors too!
In fact, according to stats from the Maine Office of Tourism, in 2022 there were 2,791,200 visitors between September and November. An increase of nearly 7% from the prior year. This includes in-state day trippers and out of state visitors. Direct spending from these visitors totalled $1,567,814,800. That is a huge economic impact to Maine’s economy!
For updated Maine foliage information, go to Mainefoliage.com.
66% of these visitors traveled from 8 states; the majority were from Maine followed by Massachusetts then New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. International visitors accounted for 5% of our visitors, an increase from 2021 as international travel continues to rebound.
98% of those visitors would recommend visiting Maine to their family and friends and 96% would recommend they visit the same region they visited.
If you are in a business that benefits from fall visitors, you should check out the other information contained in this report as it includes how visitors plan their trips and where you should be if you want them to find you!
Visit motpartners.com for more.
If you are wondering or are asked, “When is the best time to see the leaves in Maine?” A great resource is mainefoilage.com including where and when to see the best foliage.
“I like to remind folks that the color change depends on the weather as we advance into fall. We rely on the cooler temperatures and shorter days to enhance the progression of color,” according to The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) fall foliage spokesperson Gale Ross.
“This summer, Maine received a considerable amount of rainfall which will enhance the fall colors, unlike the past two seasons when the state’s forests were impacted by summer drought. Minimal defoliation in certain tree species may impact color in some areas due to the wetter than normal summer, but it should not have a significant impact on our foliage season,”
“Typically, northern Maine (zones 6 and 7) reach peak conditions the last week of September into the first week of October. The rest of the state’s color progression starts occurring from north to south in mid-October. Coastal Maine typically reaches peak conditions in mid-to-late October,” according to Ross.
If you want to be kept up to date as the leaves change color, subscribe to the 2023 Maine Fall Foilage Report, issued each Wednesday throughout the foliage season. This can be found on mainefoliage.com You can also submit your best photos, see other beautiful photos, learn how to preserve leaves and learn why they change color!
So, get ready to get out there and enjoy Maine’s beautiful colors this fall!
