If you’re on the lookout for the pseudo-pocket-book guide to planning your trip to the Boothbay Harbor Region, then you’re in luck. The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce is one of the first in the state to print its 2013 Visitor & Resource Guide (with the second largest print run after Bar Harbor) filled with 148 color glossy pages chock-full of new and expanded editorial, 180 fun things to do in our region in our Calendar of Events, 280 local business listings and close to a 100 advertisements, reflecting an expanding and thriving economic region. Don’t worry about losing your way on the Peninsula either; the visitor’s guide contains three area maps that entail the entire Boothbay Harbor Region, a detailed two-page Recreations & Activities map including sectional legends, and for all those art lovers out there: an Art Trail map. 

This year the Chamber is proud to announce that it’s going mobile and will host a profile on Maine’s only award-winning Mobile App m.gotravelmaine.com/. This is exciting news for chamber members who will now enjoy a wider presence on a virtual travel map. For visitors, The travelMAINE Mobile Map gives them a convenient way to find information on more than 365 chamber members representing places to eat, stay, play, shop, services and so much more right at their fingertips from their mobile devices. The mobile app is a win-win for both tourists and chamber members.

Our special thanks to artists Lynne and John Seitzer, owners of Joy To The Wind Gallery, for their stunning cover design and artistic contributions on the front and back covers of the 2013 guide. “I think it’s appropriate to have art images incorporated into the cover,” Lynne Seitzer said. “Boothbay Harbor Region has historically been an art colony with over 200 artists residing or exhibiting their work at the Boothbay Region Art Foundation (BRAF) and various galleries in and around town during the summer.” 

The Boothbay Harbor Region is also a boat lover’s paradise and ranked as one of Yachting Magazine’s 50 Best Towns for 2012. Come on down to the harbor and explore our waters, but first read through our newly added Boating section. 

In April, 2012 the Chamber celebrated its 50th anniversary at its Annual Awards dinner gala at The World Is Mine Oyster restaurant. Chamber President, Pamela Byrne Riley and the Board of Directors felt it was important to recognize the significant contribution that certain organizations had made to the success of our Chamber and particularly our region. The three recipients of these awards for Business, Community and Community Service Improvement are featured under the Annual Awards section.  

The Chamber’s 50th anniversary celebration ended on a high note with the First Annual Claw Down Chef’s Lobster Bite Competition.  In conjunction with the Maine Lobster Promotion Council’s Lobster Lovers Celebration, an effort to promote buying and eating more Maine lobster in support of the lobster industry, the sold-out culinary event was held this past fall at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor.  Stay tuned for the 2nd Annual Claw Down event where top local chefs will once again compete for the People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice award. Visitors can log onto our Claw Down Facebook page or enjoy the two-page spread with decadent details of the winning lobster bites in our visitor’s guide.

Over 60,000 guides will be distributed to AAA’s offices from Albany, N.Y., to Louisville, Ky., across the East Coast and into Canada plus visitor centers and chambers state-wide from York to Bar Harbor to Aroostook, train stations, airports and several other public locations statewide and beyond.  More than 35,000 guides will be distributed locally to our members and 10,000 picked up at our office and our Downtown Information Center.  With another 5,000 mailed to people interested in our region and from our Yankee magazine leads.

Chamber members who wish to get their guides now, are welcome to stop by the chamber office.  “For a long time now, this guide has been referred to as the most trusted and comprehensive source of information for visitors coming to our region,” said Catherine Wygant Fossett, Chamber Executive Director. “We print and distribute over 115,000 guides a year and have 4,000 visitors downloading the guide on our website that gets over a million hits a year.”

Rachel Tibbetts, Visitor Relations Coordinator often needs an intern or volunteer to help her keep up with the mailings from April-September.  “I mail out around 40 to 60 guides a day in peak season to countries as far as India, Colombia, Italy and New Zealand, not to mention the influx of visitors that come in each day and walk out with the guide in-hand.” The Chamber office is open seven days a week in-season.  If you are interested in volunteering to greet visitors or assist with mailings, please come in and speak with Rachel. We also encourage any member business attending a travel show this spring to promote our region by distributing our popular guides at their booth. Give us a call at the Chamber office at 207-633-2353. Your Chamber staff: Catherine, Cherie, Brooke, Rachel and furry friend Bella Boo would love to hear from you and hand you a glossy guide hot-off the press.