How high prices and unrest could impact Maine’s summer tourist season

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 9, 2026

Gas above $4 a gallon. Price hikes for plane tickets and baggage fees. Global unrest. Federal government shutdowns. Tourism experts are watching those factors closely to understand how they might impact Maine this summer. It’s too early to say whether the high cost of travel will deter people during the state’s busiest season, they said. “Anytime prices go up, it can have an impact on how people make their decisions,” said Tony Cameron, CEO of the Maine Tourism Association, a nonprofit membership organization that also runs visitor information centers around the state. “But in some ways, it might actually work out in our favor.”