January 20, 2010

Eastport and Saint Andrews look at joint marketing

From Seatrade Online

ROCKLAND —New Brunswick’s St. Andrews-by-the-Sea and Maine’s Eastport are discussing working together on a possible "three nation destination" marketing highlighting the attractions of the two ports and the indigenous Passamaquoddy people.

St. Andrews and Eastport are located on Passamaquoddy Bay, an inlet of the Bay of Fundy.

"Maybe we should be looking at sharing the bay as a destination," said Vaughn McIntyre, director of marketing for the St. Andrews Tourism Development Partnership. "Perhaps some of the small ships sailing the coast of Maine might like a small international port ending to the cruise."

It may even be possible to forge a"‘four nation destination" theme by incorporating St. Croix, the French settlement in North America that preceded Québec City by four years, McIntyre said.

St. Andrews and Eastport together offer varied attractions including the Passamaquoddy culture, the Bay of Fundy’s dramatic tides, whale watching, the salmon industry, a thriving arts scene and proximity to Campobello Island, where President Roosevelt had a summer retreat.

Other points of interest are botanical gardens, the French colonial history and St. Andrews’ British loyalist past, with hundreds of preserved homes and buildings from the late 1700s and early 1800s.

CruiseMaine director Amy Powers works with the port of Eastport and the local chamber of commerce. She sees potential for the "underutilized" Eastport, which she considers the "Icy Strait Point" of the East in reference to the Alaska destination that emphasizes its native culture and nature.

The community is known for its history in the sardine, salmon and herring industries and maintains a working waterfront that combines old and new traditions focusing on aquaculture. Salmon and lobster bakes, schooner sailing, lobstering, art museums, galleries, restaurants and historical attractions are all within the immediate port and downtown area.

"The Passamaquoddy people have a strong presence in the arts and cultural movement and are becoming known for their marine sciences, with a tidal power project that harnesses power from the high tides," Powers said.

Eastport seeks small and large adventure-type lines. Cruise West and Pearl Seas Cruises plan to visit.

In the past year, St. Andrews began its cruise outreach and has piqued the interest of lines like ResidenSea.

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The CruiseMaine Coalition in partnership with the Maine Port Authority and the communities of Bangor, Belfast, Boothbay Harbor, Bar Harbor, Bucksport, Camden, Eastport, Freeport, Kennebunk-Kennebunkport, Portland, Rockland and several Associate Members including Chase Leavitt & Co., Discover New England, Down East Magazine, FlyBangor, GetEtched, Maine & Co., Maine Office of Tourism, Maine Tourism Association, Maine Department of Transportation, Penobscot Bay & River Pilot’s Association, and the Washington County Commissioner’s Office works to promote these communities to the travel trade, travel media and cruise industry as attractive cruise destinations. We also provide the relative community and business support necessary for these areas to become and remain viable, productive cruise destinations while promoting cultural preservation and responsible tourism.