Coronavirus

Pandemic Expected to Cost Maine's Hospitality Industry $1B

NBC Universal, Inc.

Maine hotels, restaurants and bars will lose $1 billion in direct taxable revenue in 2020 compared to last year because of the pandemic, an industry report says.

The University of Maine study commissioned by the industry group HospitalityMaine finds that hospitality industry is expected to contribute roughly $3 billion in direct taxable revenue to the Maine economy, down from $4 billion last year.

That represents the end of a dozen years of consecutive years of growth, the Bangor Daily News reported.

HospitalityMaine CEO Steve Hewins said his group remains optimistic about the long-term prospects of the state’s second-largest private sector. “It is going to take time, but we will rebound,” he said.

Another 25 coronavirus cases were reported in Maine while the number of deaths was unchanged, officials said Monday.

Dozens of coronavirus cases have been brought to the Bar Harbor area by tourists, and testing delays are making cases difficult to track. A cruise ship company wants to begin making calls there as well.

That brings total number of coronavirus cases to 5,545 while the number of deaths stood at 142, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The seven-day average for new coronavirus cases has risen to 37.3, up from 28.9 a week ago and up from 25.1 a month ago.

Contact Us