PORTLAND, Maine — One of the world's largest travel publishers has ranked Maine at the top of its 2020 destination list.
Lonely Planet puts Maine at number four of its "Best in Travel 2020: Top Regions" list.
While the site focuses on the forthcoming Maine bicentennial, the review says Maine is a great place to visit at all times.
"The culinary scene has exploded in recent years, and you’ll find farm-to-table restaurants, coffee roasters, artisanal bakers and craft brewers all across the state," reads the article. "And despite Maine’s growing popularity, it’s easy to escape the crowds amid the state’s vast forests and its dramatic, lighthouse-strewn coastline."
The site also entices travelers to visit Maine Maine because of our vast, differing landscape.
Maine's economy relies heavily on new tourism business each year. According to the Portland Press Herald, over 37 million people visited Maine in 2018, just a 1% increase over 2017. Those 37 million visitors spent nearly $6.2 billion, supporting nearly 110,000 jobs, according to the paper.
During the recent Acadia National Park funding discussion, Ellsworth State Senator Louie Luchini said, "The tourism industry is huge for our economy. It's so important that we keep (Acadia) looking great and keep it safe for visitors to come year after year."
The three regions of the world ahead of Maine were:
- Central Asia Silk Road
- LaMarche, Italy
- Tohoku, Japan