By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

Beachgoers from the greater Portland area flocked to Willard Beach in response to nearly record-high temperatures last week.

Andrea Balanchard said she was taking care of her brother’s dogs, Bruiser and Sweety, and couldn’t resist bringing them out to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather.

“It’s really nice to finally get outside,” she said. 

Courtney McMennamin, public relations and events manager for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Portland, said the weather has helped bring people “out of their winter caves” in anticipation of another beautiful Maine summer.

“People have the fever to get out there after this past winter,” she said.

Maine Tourism Office Director of Marketing Steve Lyons said the summer-like influx of tourists last month was an indication of what could be a busy upcoming tourist season, which he said is to be expected after such a harsh winter. 

“People are looking for the warmer weather,” he said. “They’re really anxious to fight cabin fever this year.”

Visitors from Canada and many other countries visited the state during the spring heat wave to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate.

“We’ve had tourists from all over, including Israel, the Netherlands and of course Canada,” McMennamin said.

Lyons said lodging and accommodations business owners throughout the entire state had reported an increase in pre-season bookings from last year, from both local and foreign tourists. 

“We’re going to see more international travelers as long as the U.S. dollar continues to decline,” he said.

McMennamin said South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and many other southern Maine communities should expect to see visitors arriving by cruise ship toward the end of the summer thanks to the new International Marine Terminal in Portland, scheduled to open officially today.

“Once [passengers] get on land they usually venture off and do what they’re looking to do,” she said. 

Local tourism business owners are remaining optimistic about this season despite predictions of fuel costs reaching $4 a gallon this summer, McMennamin said.

“People work so hard to take their vacations,” she said. “It’s part of the great American dream to take your family out on vacation.”

Lyons said he believed weather was the primary factor in attracting tourists to the area. Most people will overlook high gas prices as long as the sun is shining, he said. 

“Maine is a ‘drive-to’ rather than a ‘fly-to’ destination,” Lyons said. “Chances are you’re not going to drive a few hours to sit in the rain.”

The tourism industry has been largely unaffected by the rising cost of oil in the past, McMennamin said.

“It’s one of the last things people cut back on,” she said.

Despite the promising surge this spring and positive reports from business owners, Lyons said he wasn’t sure how much longer people would be able to justify the expense of extended travel.

“At some point, and I don’t know what that point is, we will reach a level where people say ‘Well, let’s stay closer to home,’” he said.