Acadia National Park, However, Still Hovers at 4 Million Visits (not Vistors) Each Year.
May 18, 2026
ACADIA REGION—While many people whose livings rely on Maine’s $16.5 billion tourist industry are worrying about the upcoming summer season, the news from last year is that the number of people visiting Acadia and the Downeast region last year decreased again.
That decrease is according to a report shared at a Maine Tourism Conference in Rockport earlier this month. The Downeast and Acadia region—as defined by the state—covers all of Hancock and Washington Counties. There are not specific numbers pulled out for Mount Desert Island or its towns.
“DownEast & Acadia attracted 1,741,400 visitors in 2025, down 14.5% from 2024,” according to consultants at Downs & St. Germain Research.
In 2023, that number was 2,036,300.
Despite that decrease in total reported numbers, the economic impact, the state says, has increased.
“All visitors to DownEast & Acadia spent 9,008,500 days in DownEast & Acadia throughout 2025, down 14.2% from 2024,” the report says.
Still, the economic impact to the region was approximately $1.97 billion, a 12.3 percent increase from the year prior in data collected from December 2024 through November 2025.
“Visitors to DownEast & Acadia spent $1,328,049,000 throughout the area in 2025 on accommodations, transportation, groceries, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and other expenses, up 9.7% from 2024,” the report reads.
The towns of Mount Desert Island are positioned next to Acadia National Park, which recently has been hosting 3.9-4 million visits a year since 2021. The Maine Department Of Transportation controls the one road onto and off the island. Bar Harbor has created a task force to try to balance the needs of tourism and those of the year-round population in that, the largest town, on Mount Desert Island.
“While 2025 was another successful year for the region, the data tells a much deeper story than just the record-breaking 4 million visits to Acadia National Park,” said Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Everal Eaton. “What we are seeing is a fundamental shift in how people experience Bar Harbor and MDI. Even as statewide numbers showed a slight cooling, our local economy remained resilient because visitors are staying longer and engaging more deeply with our community.”
When it comes to managing growth, in the past six months, a consultant hired by Bar Harbor has spoken to current systems in place in Bar Harbor such as cruise ship restriction, the short-term-rental cap for properties not the primary residence of their owners, Acadia National Park’s reservation system on Cadillac Mountain, Island Explorer, and the Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton.
Pain points include congestion during certain months and residential access to parking as well as resident exhaustion at the end of the season, those consultants hired by the town have said.
“Visitors to DownEast & Acadia generated 1,907,200 nights in DownEast & Acadia accommodations throughout 2025, down 6.1% from 2024,” according to the state report.
In the larger picture, what worries some in tourism-related industries is that the rising costs of gas, food, and health care may hamper visitation.
“While we are expecting to face challenges with continued decreases in international visitations and higher gas prices, we also remain optimistic with milestone events like America’s 250th Celebration this 4th of July and lodging bookings suggesting a strong spring and summer. For the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, the priority has remained focused on customer experience and sustainable growth. We are encouraged by the increase in total economic impact, which signals that our focus on high-quality, authentic experiences is working. Our goal for 2026 is to continue (to) push for ‘shoulder season and off-season’ growth,” Eaton said.
Most of Maine’s visitors came from the Mid-Atlantic and New England with only 3.4 percent being international visitors. The average Maine visitor is white, married (or living together) and 48. The average annual household income of visitors to Maine is $117,200. Most visitors drove to the state. Most stayed in lodgings. Approximately 14% stayed in rental homes and 6% stayed in their own second home.
In March, consultant Edmund Morris presented a 60-page report to the Bar Harbor Sustainable Tourism Task Force, arguing that while the waterfront strains from pedestrian traffic under peak-season pressure, the town and Acadia National Park remain largely unknown outside the United States and Canada.
Morris, founder of Equator-AI, a market intelligence platform based in Australia, had zoomed into the meeting as a sub consultant and he is according to The Conscious Traveler, “a former speechwriter turned data storyteller.”
The narrative he told about Bar Harbor is this: he believes that the town is undiscovered by most of the world, as is Acadia National Park. Most of its daily visits in the summer are at the downtown waterfront area. And he believes it lacks essential services compared to some other Maine towns.
Morris talked about Bar Harbor being a hidden gem.
Following Morris’ reasoning, the entire region could also be expressed as that as well, as could the state since almost 75% of visitors to the state come from the United States (or Maine itself) and the Eastern seaboard of the country. Most drive to get here.
According to the state report, tourism supported more than 14,000 jobs in 2025. This is a 6.8% increase from the prior year. That translates to supporting $612,480,900 in wages in 2025, an increase of 5.4% from 2024.
“Compared to visitors to other regions, visitors to DownEast & Acadia are more likely to: have a longer trip planning window and use more sources when planning their trips; visit primarily for sightseeing/touring and nature/bird watching; be influenced by advertising to visit Maine; be a first time visitor and take a longer trip; spend time hiking, climbing, or backpacking; stay in paid accommodations and report that their lodging exceeded their expectations; and be very satisfied with their trip,” the report states.
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