COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: The Impacts Of Tourism In The County With Mark Shea
It's usually a good thing when a region, like the County, has many recreational options available for people to have fun and to provide a good, economic impact on the area.
Community Spotlight caught up with Mark Shea, who is a board member with Aroostook County Tourism, who helped to shed some light on how the County can benefit from tourism.
Besides some of the big events that might attract tourists, Shea magnified hobbies that people like to partake in such as skiing, snowmobile riding, and ice fishing, to name a few, that help to boost the economy in the region.
Shea also added,
"We have some of the best snowmobile trails in the country. We have some of the best Nordic ski trails in the country. We've hosted world-class events at those Nordic centers."
Other offerings that the County has in order to whet the appetite of potential tourists are indoor activities like cultural centers and museums.
As far as economic impact projections, Shea said that they've seen a steady increase over the past few years of tourists and monies coming to businesses in the County.
Shea said that promoting businesses that are involved with tourism like restaurants, gas stations and hotels, is something the board really endeavors to do every year.
MARCH EVENTS
One of the big events coming to the County is the Eastern High School Championships, which brings the top high school skiers from all over New England, New York and even skiers from Canada.
Another big event, that is scheduled for the end of March, is the Super Tour Finals. This event is one step below the World Cup, according to Shea, for cross country skiing and hosts some of the best skiers in the world.
For more information about all the great events and things you can do in the County, you can visit them on their website at NordicHeritageCenter.org.
Community Spotlight is sponsored by Cary Medical Center.
If you have an idea for the program, contact us at spotlight@townsquaremedia.com.