PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 2, 2026
Maine’s summer economy depends on tourism, and Canadian visitors are one of its most important pillars. In 2024, roughly 800,000 Canadians visited our state and spent close to $500 million in our communities. They fill our hotels and motels, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores, buy gas, attend attractions and support tens of thousands of seasonal jobs. But Maine is quietly becoming too expensive, and too politically complicated, for many of the Canadian visitors Maine depends on most. Recent federal trade actions and tariff disputes have angered many Canadians and hardened public attitudes toward the United States. People are less inclined to spend their vacation dollars where they feel unwelcome, overcharged or politically alienated. Maine should adopt a one-year suspension of the 9% lodging tax for Canadian visitors during the summer of 2026. ~ Peter Guidi owns the Seagrass Inn in Old Orchard Beach