Tourists Vote Maine as One of the Least-Friendly States in the Country

The first sign that many visitors to Maine see features a message that says, "Welcome Home". That message is intentionally meant to have a double meaning.

For those returning to the state from a visit elsewhere, it's a genuine "welcome home". But for those who are simply visiting, it's a reminder that while Maine may be a large state square footage-wise, it's a small town people-wise. Treat it like you're coming home.

Apparently, that message hasn't translated to the many tourists who visited Maine over the last calendar year. According to World Population Review, Maine was ranked among the back half of the nation when it comes to being friendly to tourists.

The results of that survey may not necessarily surprise a whole lot of Mainers. While many communities survive thanks to tourism, those who don't live and work in those communities have very little motivation to be overly polite to visitors. That isn't to say people in Maine are rude, they simply do not go above and beyond with kindness for just anyone.

There's also a few communities in Maine that may suffer from tourism fatigue. Places like Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport, and Portland now see consistent tourism for most of the year. Perhaps that has put some of that 'welcome home' mentality on the back burner.

If you're looking for positives from this very unscientific tourism survey, it's that Maine is still friendlier than every other New England state. While Maine was only ranked 32 out of 50, every single other New England state was ranked lower by tourists. That includes Massachusetts, which ranked 47 out of 50.