Tourists May be Unable to Get a Rental Car in Maine This Summer

If there's one thing we know for sure it's that the Maine economy relies heavily on the summer tourism industry. Especially after a year of tourism being at an all-time low due to the pandemic, tourism this year is more important than ever.

According to WMTW, while the pandemic was growing last summer, rental car companies around the country were selling off their inventory due to a significantly decreased demand in 2020. Now, with things looking up for most Americans, these same companies are looking to buy more new cars to bring their inventory back up to normal levels. The only problem? There is a major new car shortage happening in the United States right now and even major rental companies can't get them.

Maine officials are concerned, especially with more direct-to-Maine flights being offered than ever, that tourists will land in Portland expecting to rent a car and be displeased when they realize there are none available.

Unfortunately, depending on where tourists want to travel to in Maine, calling a cab or taking an Uber just aren't a feasible option. If tourists are staying in Freeport but want to do a daytrip to Acadia, a rental car really is the only option.

Hopefully, and soon, car manufacturers in the United States are able to step production up to near 2020 levels. We'll continue to follow and provide updates on this story.

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