Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of Maine’s summer season, and more than a million vehicles are expected to pour in and out of Maine over the next three days.

Early signs suggest the summer months have contributed to a fairly strong tourist season in Maine this year.

The Maine Turnpike Authority’s transactions – which measure how many times vehicles go through tolls – were up 4.9% through July 31, compared to the same period in 2023.

“We are ahead of last year, and last year was a banner year,” said Erin Courtney, turnpike authority spokesperson.

The turnpike authority is projecting 1.1 million toll transactions over the Labor Day weekend – Friday through Monday – which would be a 0.9% increase over 2023. While turnpike motorists include a mix of tourists and Maine residents, toll numbers are an indicator of how the tourism season is going, with many people driving up from points south, particularly Massachusetts, Connecticut and the New York/New Jersey region.

“With stunning beach weather this holiday season, and lodging operators full, all signs indicate that summer’s last blast is ending on a high note,” Kathleen Pierce, the director of member experience for the HospitalityMaine trade group, said in an email.

The number of passengers coming through the Portland International Jetport in June and July increased from 515,923 in 2023 to 561,745 in 2024, an 8.8% increase.

While other tourism statistics are not yet available, there are signs that Maine is having a good year.

“We have seen indicators that the 2024 summer season got off to a good start,” said Jennifer Geiger, communications manager for the Maine Office of Tourism.

Geiger said hospitality data is showing an increase in vacation rental occupancy of 0.6% in July compared to July 2023. Taxable lodging and restaurant sales were up about 3% in May and June compared to the same months last year, according to state statistics, but data for the crucial months of July and August is not yet available.

Tourism was mixed in 2023, with 15.3 million visitors coming to Maine, a 0.6% decrease from 2022. But tourists stayed longer and spent more money last year, statistics suggest.

Geiger said a fuller picture of the 2024 summer tourist season will become available in mid-autumn.

For those traveling on the turnpike this weekend, the heaviest volumes are expected to be northbound from 2-7 p.m. Friday evening, northbound and southbound from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and southbound from noon to 7 p.m. Monday.

All construction and maintenance work on the turnpike is suspended for the Labor Day weekend, but there are many construction zones with narrowed lanes and reduced speeds.

Miles the Moose, the turnpike mascot, greeted visitors to Maine at the Kennebunk toll plaza on Friday, and is expected to wave goodbye to tourists on Labor Day.