FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2022
Contact: Jennifer Geiger
Maine Office of Tourism Announces Temporary Summer Home for Houlton Visitor Information Center
Interim Location at County Co-Op & Farm Store Scheduled to Open July 18
Augusta, MAINE - The Maine Office of Tourism today announced a new temporary home for the Visitor Information Center in Houlton for the 2022 summer months, following a change in ownership of the previous location building.
The temporary Visitor Information Center will be located at the County Co-op & Farm Store located at 53 Main Street in Houlton. The Maine Office of Tourism and the Maine Tourism Association, which manages the information centers for the state, have partnered with the Houlton Chamber of Commerce and area business community to ensure visitors continue to receive travel information and a warm welcome when they travel to Aroostook County. Visitor Information Center staff will greet visitors and provide local and regional travel and event information, with a tentative opening scheduled for July 18th, 2022.
“We appreciate the community partnerships that will support the Visitor Information Center staff with a temporary home this summer where they can greet visitors to Maine as they enter Aroostook County,” said Hannah Collins, Deputy Director of the Maine Office of Tourism. “Research shows that visitation to rural Maine locations has increased measurably in recent years, and with the easing of restrictions for travel between the USA and Canada, we anticipate that this growth will continue.”
“We are pleased with the opportunity to work with the community to maintain visitor information services in Houlton during this transition period,” said Tony Cameron, CEO of the Maine Tourism Association. “Our staff lives locally and is well-versed in the region’s strengths and invested in the success of tourism in Aroostook County.”
“The County Co-op and Farm Store at 53 Main Street is very excited to have the opportunity to introduce Historic Downtown Houlton to visitors. The County is a true “hidden treasure” with a community willing to share their stories about all there is to see and do!” said Jane Torres, Executive Director of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce.
The previous location of the Houlton Visitor Information Center at 28 Ludlow Road in Houlton received over 25,000 visitors in 2019, and with travel approaching pre-pandemic levels in 2022 it is anticipated there will be an associated return in demand for information center services.
To help visitors find the Houlton Visitor Information Center in its temporary new location, the Maine Department of Transportation will update signage, and the MOT, MTA, Aroostook County Tourism, Town of Houlton, and Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce will add directional information to their respective websites and social media messaging.
The State is currently in negotiations to secure a new permanent location for the Visitor Information Center. For updated information about the state’s Visitor Information Centers, visit mainetourism.com/visitor-centers.
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