The Bar Harbor Inn at center on a cloudy autumn day.

Working Waterfront

Tourism industry wrestles with disruptive influences

Social media and new technology are driving change in the tourism industry at an unprecedented rate. Those changes are driving marketplace innovations, as tourism interests strive to reach new demographic groups on the latter’s own terms. That was the message from Paul Ouimet, managing director of DestinationNEXT, a research and… SEE MORE
Fishermen work on the waterfront on Islesford as November settles in.

Working Waterfront

Considering the elements that sustain community vitality

One of the best metaphors depicting the fragility of island communities I’ve encountered is the idea of the three-legged stool. I attend the quarterly meetings of the Maine Islands Coalition, a group the Institute helped create, which convenes representatives of the 15 unbridged, year-round islands. Occasionally, members refer to the… SEE MORE
Justin and Tiffany Ford.

Working Waterfront

On The Water In Maine offers more than lists

When Justin and Tiffany Ford launched their vacation rental management business in 2006, there were about 8,000 residential units available in the state. That number included houses whose owners rented them by the week or month in summer, as well as cabins, cottages, and condominiums near ski resorts like Sugarloaf… SEE MORE