The number of people visiting Maine fell for the third year in a row in 2024, spotlighting a growing challenge for one of the state’s primary industries as Gov. Janet Mills anticipates the loss of Canadian visitors amid President Donald Trump’s tariff war.

Maine’s tourist count dropped 3% last year, from 15.27 million visitors in 2023 to 14.8 million in 2024, according to the state’s annual report delivered Thursday at the the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Bangor. After rebounding slightly to 15.6 million visitors in 2021, tourist numbers have fallen off and failed to surpass the pre-pandemic count of 16.4 million in 2019.

Meanwhile, spending by tourists increased 2.2%, from $9 billion in 2023 to $9.2 billion last year, continuing to exceed the pre-pandemic tally of $6.5 billion in 2019, based on data provided by the Maine Office of Tourism.

Visitors stayed nearly 12.4 million nights in Maine hotels and other accommodations last year, up 0.8% from 2023. However, the typical visitor stayed 4.5 nights, down 6.3% from 4.8 nights in 2023.

“While visitation softened, the state attracted visitors who spent more,” said Carolann Ouellette, director of the tourism office, noting a continuing trend. “We also saw an increase in overall room nights and a notable (8%) increase of visitors in fall and winter.”

The office hopes to expand Maine’s reach by introducing the state’s unique “brand and rich culture to new audiences,” Ouellette said in an emailed statement. “Our 2025 goal is to continue to attract right-fit travelers across all seasons.”

In addressing the conference Thursday morning, Mills predicted that Maine could have 225,000 fewer visitors from Canada this year because of the tariffs and insults that Trump has lobbed across the northern border in recent weeks.

“That’s hundreds of thousands of fewer people staying in our hotels, making reservations at our restaurants, shopping in our small businesses,” Mills said in a prepared statement provided to the Press Herald.

“On the eve of another summer tourism season, we are once again facing great economic uncertainty,” she said. “This time that uncertainty is not being driven by a pandemic, but by harmful rhetoric and painful tariffs that our Canadian neighbors say make them feel unwelcome in the United States and uncertain about visiting our state.”

She noted that last month, the number of Canadians who returned from the U.S. by car — 1.5 million — was 32% lower than in March 2024. That was the third consecutive month of year-over-year declines and the steepest plunge since the pandemic, according to Statistics Canada.

Mills also pointed out that nearly 800,000, or 5%, of Maine’s visitors last year were from Canada, and those Canadians spent nearly $500 million, she said.

Mills said the loss of Canadian tourists can’t be filled by attracting more visitors from other states or leaving more room for Mainers taking “staycations.” She said she’s committed to working with Canadian leaders to preserve and promote cross-border travel, tourism and economic advantages.

“It’s important to remember the survival of many small businesses in our hospitality sector depends on overnight visitors who stay longer and spend more,” Mills said. “Maine and Canada have a cherished relationship founded not only on mutual financial economic advantages but also on centuries-old familial and cultural bonds that supersede politics.”

The 3% decline in tourists for all of 2024 is less dramatic than the 9% drop in summer tourists last year, which was attributed in part to less available rental housing and fewer visitors staying with friends and family or in second homes. Nearly 700,000 fewer people visited Maine last May through October compared to the same period in 2023.

Mills said Maine’s tourism industry faces other challenges, including a worker shortage, which her administration is addressing by investing in job-training programs in the hospitality industry.

The annual tourism report noted that Maine’s visitors supported nearly 116,000 jobs that paid $5.4 billion in wages last year, up nearly 2% over 2023. It also reported survey data showing that 68% of prospective visitors ranked Maine’s natural beauty as their primary reason to make the trip and 82% said they would likely drive here rather than fly or use other mass transit.

And it laid out a plan to increase tourism in 2025 by highlighting Maine’s beaches, shops filled with unique products, hotels and hiking trails.

“We will promote the things that set Maine apart from any other destination in the world — our dark night skies, with no light pollution, perfect for stargazing,” Mills said. “Our restaurants, with award-winning food and drinks that tempt people to stay longer than they ever intended. Our recreation businesses, which make our beautiful outdoors easy and enjoyable to explore.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify the drop in the number of tourists who visited Maine last summer.