HALLOWELL – The Maine Tourism Association (MTA) is proud to announce that it will soon begin operating a staffing service for its members to address the workforce shortage in the tourism industry. MTA’s Board of Directors approved the plan at its meeting on Oct. 23.

CEO Chris Fogg stated, “We are a membership association, so it is our job to provide needed benefits and services to our members. One of their biggest challenges is finding seasonal workers. We believe it is the responsibility of the Maine Tourism Association to address that challenge.”

The staffing service will find employees in other states, provide background checks on these employees, and arrange for their transportation to Maine and the member business. MTA will also offer the option of basic hospitality skills training for a few days prior to the employee arriving at the business.

Further, the staffing service will seek out Maine businesses that operate on opposite seasons and facilitate partnerships so that seasonal employees may be shared, thereby ensuring year-round employment for employees and helping staff those businesses during their busiest seasons.

“We’ve seen year after year of successful tourism seasons, and Maine unemployment hovers around three percent. These are great pieces of news, but it does mean that there is demand for employees that can’t be met with Maine workers alone,” said Fogg.

The staffing service will operate as a pilot project through 2019, offering its services to a small number of MTA members. The service will be expanded to all MTA members in future years.

The Maine Tourism Association represents more than 1,500 members across the state, promoting the tourism industry. Members include small and large businesses that provide traditional tourism interests such as accommodations, restaurants, camps, campgrounds, retail establishments, and cultural and heritage attractions.