Aroostook increases snowmobile show participation

    PRESQUE ISLE — The success of advertising sales in the upcoming edition of the Aroostook County Regional Visitor’s Guide is allowing the Aroostook County Tourism (ACT) committee to add two more snowmobile shows to its promotional schedule.
    Meeting Aug. 30 at the Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle, committee members agreed to staff booths at the Maine Snowmobile Show in Augusta and the Pennsylvania Powersports Show in Lebanon, Pa. Both shows are in October.
    Earlier this year trade show subcommittee members decided to forego these events due to budget constraints, but additional revenues from ad sales in the visitor’s guide will more than cover the cost.
Contributed photo
FOCUS ON TOURISM — Mike Fawcett of Reed Plantation, who chairs the Aroostook County Tourism public relations subcommittee, gave a status report at the latest ACT committee meeting held Aug. 31 at the Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle.
    “It’s the local businesses, which purchased the advertising, that are making the added promotional events possible,” said Jim Bennett, chairperson of the ACT committee. “Hopefully by getting more tourists to the area through these shows the advertisers will get an additional return on their investment.”
    Leslie Jackson, regional tourism developer for the Northern Maine Development Commission, said the advertiser support for the Visitor’s Guide shows the importance of tourism for the region.
    “It is so important to get out there and let people know about the great things available to do in Aroostook County,” Jackson said.
    ACT member Kathy Mazzuchelli of Caribou initiated the conversation of attending the two shows after more than a dozen phone calls over the past few weeks. She said with the decline in the number of instate snowmobile registrations, out-of-state registrations are up and it is important not to neglect those customers.
    “When they come up they are here for a week at a time and they are significant spenders,” said Mazzuchelli. “They are very dedicated to Aroostook County and believe additional exposure in Pennsylvania will attract even more people to northern Maine.”
    Mazzuchelli also advocated for a continued presence at the Maine Snowmobile Show in Augusta.
    “One of the things that we can’t forget is snowmobiling is still one of the major winter industries in Aroostook County,” she added. “We are competing against some regions in the state which are doing a bang up job in promoting snowmobiling and we can’t assume since we have a segment of the market we always will, so it’s important we continue to educate people about what the region has to offer.”
    The Visitor’s guide, which will contain information on what Aroostook County has to offer with topics including, but not limited to, cultural, historical, recreational, hunting, fishing, motorized and non-motorized activities, lodging, dining and events, will be out in late October.