Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 22 : Fall 2014 | Page 47

Aroostook
County Visitors
Information
Center
by Jim Brown
The Visitors Information Center (VIC) for Aroostook
County is located in its county seat, the “Shire
Town” of Houlton. Situated just off Interstate 95
in an inviting, wooded setting conveniently located
near gas stations, motels, grocery stores and a WalMart, the VIC is also in close proximity to downtown
Houlton and its shops, restaurants and a beautiful
downtown park near the library. It provides a safe
place for travelers to stop to rest, obtain information
on places to go and see, walk their dogs, use the
clean and well-maintained restrooms, and even
access the free WIFI, too.

provides the necessary knowledge and training to all
the VIC’s staff in the State of Maine. I am especially
proud of the Houlton Staff as they take great pride
in where they live and what this area has to offer
visitors in so many ways.

Many of the 250,000+ travelers who have checked in
with the staff at the Houlton VIC over the last 10 years
have received valuable guidance and information,
and then have proceeded to book lodging, make
restaurant reservations and purchase goods and
products at local businesses located throughout the
Houlton region. These are the tangible benefits of
The VIC is not “just about Houlton”, though. It is the VIC being located in Houlton.
all about the VIC’s friendly and knowledgeable staff
welcoming and guiding travelers throughout The The intangible effect of the VIC is that the staff has
County and northern Maine in general, including the ability to impress upon the traveler that there
our friends and neighbors to the south in Washington are many places to see and numerous things to do
County and beyond. The staff is professionally right here in northern Maine. In promoting not only
trained by the Maine Tourism Association and all the immediate Houlton area but the entire region,
are well suited to provide valuable guidance to the staff acts like a “traveler-by-traveler” branding
travelers regardless of their destinations within the process. And as with most branding processes,
tracking the positive effects as it related directly to
State of Maine.
revenue is challenging at best, but I would venture
The VIC is the “northern gateway” to the rest of to say that the benefits far outweigh the overall costs
Maine for travelers headed south; largely from of operating the VIC.
Canada, and the staff pride themselves on providing
good information in their roles as ambassadors to The decision was made by the Maine Department
of Transportation to no longer fund and support
the entire state.
this center. The Town of Houlton stepped up, took
A Northbound traveler’s first official impression of charge and became owners of the VIC and thus has
The County very well may be the VIC and its staff an economic responsibility to maintain the building
– and first impressions mean everything. I am proud and grounds. That funding comes directly out of the
to be on the Board of Directors of the MTA, which town’s annual budget. It is no secret that there are
FALL 2014

45