AUGUSTA — The state’s top tourism official told lawmakers Friday that her office has stepped up promotions to draw visitors to the state in response to predictions that Canadian tourism could drop 24% this summer.

Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, said tariffs on Canadian products and negative sentiment from consumers could lead to a downturn in visits from Canadians.

Overall, Canada represents about 5% of visitation, which equates to about 900,000 travelers, she told members of the Legislature’s budget committee.

Part of the strategy to make up the anticipated deficit is to more heavily target people in the Northeast and the eastern seaboard. But with other states also hoping to win over more U.S. travelers, it could be difficult, she said.

“It will become an increasingly competitive landscape for dollars attracting U.S. travelers to destinations,” she said.

The presentation on tourism followed a briefing by State Economist Amanda Rector, who told the committee that uncertainty surrounding the recently announced tariffs, and the likelihood of federal funding cuts, make it difficult to accurately predict economic conditions.

“Uncertainty plays a crucial role in shaping economic decisions for businesses, consumers and policymakers,” Rector said. “When uncertainty is high businesses may delay investments, hiring and product launches, slowing economic growth.”

In addition, consumers may decide to save more of their money and spend less, she said.

The update was part of efforts by the budget committee to get a sense of where things are headed as they craft a supplemental state budget over the next eight to ten weeks.

For Rep. Ken Fredette, R-Newport, the uncertainty of the tariffs follows another period of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that ground the global economy to a near halt in 2020.

“I think the tariff issue is going to fix itself over time, whether it’s six months or two years,” Fredette said. “We just live in a changing time where being more nimble is going to be important.”

Rector said when it comes to state revenues, a different committee will meet at the end of April to update the figures.

On the tourism front, Rep. Holly Stover (D-Boothbay) said a friend runs a large hotel in Boothbay Harbor and that she had five cancelations in one day from Canadian travelers.

“She’s very disappointed,” Stover said. “They were long-term visitors and repeat guests. She said I hope one day they return.”