By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

Scarborough residents and visitors from nearby towns broke out the sun block and made their way to Pine Point Beach to enjoy the spring heat wave during school vacation last week. 

Renee Quinn and Rachel Alterisio, both freshmen at Scarborough High School, said it was nice to finally be outdoors after what seemed like a long winter. 

“This is so much nicer than last spring,” Quinn said. 

Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce President Robert Nadeau said he has heard positive results from local businesses over the last several weeks. Bookings were up “pretty good” in the hospitality industry last month, especially at seasonable lodgings, he said.

Maine Tourism Office Director of Marketing Steve Lyons said lodging and accommodations business owners throughout the state had reported an increase in pre-season booking from last year, from both local and international tourists. 

 “They’re getting good amounts [of tourists] from Canada with the exchange rates being what they are,” Nadeau agreed.

Lyons said the neighbors to the north weren’t the only foreigners now considering vacationing in the United States an affordable option this summer.

“We’re going to see more international travelers as long as the U.S. dollar continues to decline,” he said.

Although the price of oil has many businesses concerned about the upcoming summer, Nadeau said the high cost of traveling could be a “mixed blessing.”

“When it’s expensive to go places, people tend to stay closer to home,” he said. “We have five beaches, a state park and lots of places to stay that are always packed in the summertime. I think we’ll be OK.”

Nadeau said he was convinced most Americans would still take time off from work this summer, even though the high cost of living could have most considering shorter, closer trips.

Lyons said he believed weather was the primary factor in attracting tourists to the area.

Most people will overlook high gas prices as long as the sun is shining, he said. 

“Maine is a ‘drive-to’ rather than a ‘fly-to’ destination,” Lyons said. “Chances are you’re not going to drive a few hours to sit in the rain.”

The summer-like influx of tourists in the past month was an indication of what could be a busy upcoming tourist season, which Lyons said is to be expected after such a harsh winter. 

“People are looking for the warmer weather,” he said. “They’re really anxious to fight cabin fever this year.”

The tourism industry has been largely unaffected by the rising cost of oil in the past, and shows no signs of being affected soon, Lyons said.

However, despite the promising surge of this spring and positive reports from business owners, Lyons said he wasn’t sure how much longer people would be able to justify the expense of extended travel.

“At some point, and I don’t know what that point is, we will reach a level where people say ‘Well, let’s stay closer to home,’” he said. 

Contact Nate Jones by calling 282-4337 or by emailing news@scarboroughleader.com.