Carolann Ouellette, Director, Maine Office of Tourism | The CEO Magazine

When asked what she considers the flavor of Maine, Carolann Ouellette struggles to narrow it down to one particular food.

“While people have traditionally recognized us as the lobster capital of the United States, we have such a large, open landscape and farming continues to be very much a part of what we do in Maine,” the Director of the Maine Office of Tourism tells The CEO Magazine.

“There’s this notion of fresh from the sea and fresh from the land.”

The Maine food basket also brims with blueberries, oysters, scallops, apples, maples, grains, potatoes and more. The sheer bounty of ingredients at their doorstep is what has attracted plenty of chefs to Maine, including many James Beard Foundation-nominated chefs.

Food is such a significant part of Maine’s identity that it has become a key focus of the state’s tourism strategy, with its Bountiful Maine initiative.

“We have such unique culinary offerings,” she adds.

A new identity

When Ouellette, a seasoned tourism professional, took up a board seat on what is now known as the Maine Tourism Association, one of the stakeholders she engaged directly with was the Maine Office of Tourism.

“The Office of Tourism fascinated me,” she says. “Not only for the partnerships and the ability to impact positive outcomes economically across the state, but also for the fact that this was a government office that seemed relatively nimble and a little bit different than your standard government office because of its non-regulatory business focus.”

So when she was approached to join, it was an easy yes. Today, Ouellette is in her second stint as Director, having returned in 2024. One of her first tasks was to reset a destination management plan that was introduced in the spring of 2023.

“It speaks to the notion of balancing the visitor experience with resident quality of life, and a triple bottom line: how do you positively impact the economy, think about the environment and the natural resources surrounding it, and what does that broadly mean for the people inside the communities across the state?” she says.

What emerged from the refresh of brand Maine was a new identity: Forged by Nature.

“It embodies the deep connection between the rugged landscape, the grit, the authenticity, the creativity, the cultural heritage of the place, and how that’s shaped us as people and how that shapes experiences that visitors can have,” she says.

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“Working with the Maine Office of Tourism is a masterclass in collaboration. Its team brings unmatched dedication to showcasing Maine’s unique brand, backing us with powerful state marketing, rich research and critical resources. It truly listens to coastal communities, helping us drive year-round, responsible travel that directly supports our region’s small businesses and workers.” – Everal Eaton, Executive Director, Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce

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It’s also a strategy that allows the Maine Office of Tourism to place a greater emphasis on storytelling than it has in the past.

“We can share stories from across the time period that have helped shape us, and that aligns with the traveler trends that we’re seeing, where people want to travel more locally, more responsibly and understand community culture,” she says.

Listening not leading

What also emerged from the destination management plan reset were five key imperatives that guide everything the organization does. Among them, the optimization of long-term economic impact, including dispersing visitors across the state to communities that may not have traditionally seen as much visitation across all four seasons, as well as a focus on community spend rather than number of visitors.

Destination stewardship has also become a bigger priority, with initiatives such as Look out for ME encouraging responsible visitor behavior. Ouellette also wants to advance destination development in communities that are ready to do so.

Every step of the way, she is working with regional tourism partners and chambers of commerce. Hers is a small team: less than a dozen across the Office of Tourism, the Maine Film Office and the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation, so these relationships with both internal and external partners are critical.

The secret, she says, is listening first and not being the only one to lead.

“A true partnership is building a level playing field where everyone can engage,” she explains. “You have to appreciate what each other is doing and their opinions and reasons behind different strategic directions.”

Closer than you think

Despite perceptions, Maine is not as far away from other states as most people believe.

“We’re closer than you think,” Ouellette says.

Whereas, traditionally, people came to Maine by road, the expansion of Bangor International Airport and Portland International Jetport is encouraging more visitors to fly in; this year, Portland International opened up its first non-stop flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The cruise industry is another interesting piece, Ouellette says, since it brings a blend of domestic and international visitors, many coming up to Maine after boarding in Boston en route to Nova Scotia and even as far as the Saint Lawrence river in Quebec.

Along with food and nature, she notes, sport and culture are also big tourism pulls for the state.

“Maine has truly embraced being a sports state,” she says. In fact, the USL League One welcomed the state’s first professional soccer team, Portland Hearts of Pine, in 2025.

Above all, Ouellette wants to dispel the enduring and misplaced perception of Maine.

“We’re small from a population perspective, but mighty in spirit, resilience and grit. We’re incredibly welcoming,” she concludes.