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        <title>A Top 30 Stream of Raft Maine Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</title>
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        <description>A Top 30 Stream of Raft Maine Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</description>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:20:42 -0700</pubDate>
        <category>Raft Maine</category>
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        <itunes:subtitle>A Top 30 Stream of Raft Maine Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</itunes:subtitle>
        <itunes:summary>A Top 30 Stream of Raft Maine Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</itunes:summary>
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                        <title>Maine&#039;s 2007 Whitewater Rafting Season Great Success </title>
                        <link>http://www.prweb.com/releases/rafting/business/prweb562790.htm</link>
                        <comments>http://www.prweb.com/releases/rafting/business/prweb562790.htm</comments>
                        <description>Outfitters of the Raft Maine Association report passenger  increases on all three wilderness rivers,  the Kennebec and Dead in The Forks and the Penobscot in Millinocket. A renewed efoort in co-operative marketing is credited with the business increase. [PRWeb Oct 28, 2007]</description>
                        <guid>http://www.prweb.com/releases/rafting/business/prweb562790.htm</guid>
                        <pubDate>Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:45:59 -0700</pubDate>
                        <author>podcrew@extrahoop.com</author>
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                        <content:encoded><![CDATA[(PRWEB) October 28, 2007 -- After five years of declining passenger numbers, members of the Raft Maine Association are reporting an increase of 4% on the Kennebec, 10% on the Penobscot and 16% on trips on the Dead River.  Maine&#039;s whitewater rafting season officially drew to a close on October 13, 2007 after a 176-day season, which began in late April.



Raft Maine members Crab Apple Whitewater, Magic Falls Rafting Company, Moxie Outdoor Adventures, North Country Rivers, Professional River Runners, Three Rivers Fun and Windfall Outdoor Center represent 63% of the state&#039;s commercial whitewater passengers.
	
Figures compiled by Florida Power &#38; Light indicate an increase of 1291 guests on the Kennebec River, up 4% from 2006.   Preliminary reports from the Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife show an increase of 10%, just over 600 passengers, on the Penobscot,   Individual outfitter reports from the Dead River indicate company increases of 15-35% for a total of 669 more rafters on the Dead. 
	
Other outdoor adventures activities also saw an up-tick. Magic Falls Rafting Company&#039;s  moose safaris are up 10%.  At Three Rivers Fun, 45% more thrill seekers combined a sky-diving trip with a raft trip on the Penobscot.  Scenic float plane rides at Moxie Outdoor Adventures were up 20% and were especially popular with families.  North Country Rivers reports that ATV business has shown steady growth and now exceeds its snowmobile revenues.   
	
Raft Maine president Jim Murton credits the good season to a renewed commitment by Raft Maine member outfitters to joint marketing and co-operative efforts with the Maine Office of Tourism, Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, Maine Tourism Association and Maine&#039;s hospitality businesses and trade associations.
	
Says Murton, &quot;We conducted an on-demand direct mail program, participated in travel trade shows and maximized our web referrals through reciprocal links to state web sites.  An Associated Press story about family rafting published everywhere from the Boston Herald to the Miami Herald to usatoday.com gave us a big boost.  We have the Maine Office of Tourism&#039;s public relations efforts to thank for that.&quot;
	
Managing Director, Wende Gray, believes the increase in business is attributable to Raft Maine&#039;s Travel Partners program.  &quot;This year we had over 150 inns, campgrounds, restaurants, and chamber information centers who displayed our brochures, posted a weekly whitewater report and had reciprocal internet links.  It&#039;s great to have that many salespeople out there talking about rafting to their guests,&quot; says Gray.
	
Gray reports that inquiries to Raft Maine were up 17% this season and requests for the 2008 season are especially strong from international travelers.
	
Official rafting industry passenger numbers will be available from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in early January 2008.

Raft Maine is a trade association of seven of Maine&#039;s professional white water outfitters.  Raft Maine maintains a website at <a href="http://www.raftmaine.com" onclick="linkClick( this.href );"  target="_blank">www.raftmaine.com</a> and a one-call reservation service at 800-RAFT-MEE  (800-723-8633).

###]]></content:encoded>
                        <itunes:author>WENDE GRAY</itunes:author>
                        <itunes:subtitle>Maine&#039;s 2007 Whitewater Rafting Season Great Success </itunes:subtitle>
                        <itunes:summary><![CDATA[(PRWEB) October 28, 2007 -- After five years of declining passenger numbers, members of the Raft Maine Association are reporting an increase of 4% on the Kennebec, 10% on the Penobscot and 16% on trips on the Dead River.  Maine&#039;s whitewater rafting season officially drew to a close on October 13, 2007 after a 176-day season, which began in late April.



Raft Maine members Crab Apple Whitewater, Magic Falls Rafting Company, Moxie Outdoor Adventures, North Country Rivers, Professional River Runners, Three Rivers Fun and Windfall Outdoor Center represent 63% of the state&#039;s commercial whitewater passengers.
	
Figures compiled by Florida Power &#38; Light indicate an increase of 1291 guests on the Kennebec River, up 4% from 2006.   Preliminary reports from the Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife show an increase of 10%, just over 600 passengers, on the Penobscot,   Individual outfitter reports from the Dead River indicate company increases of 15-35% for a total of 669 more rafters on the Dead. 
	
Other outdoor adventures activities also saw an up-tick. Magic Falls Rafting Company&#039;s  moose safaris are up 10%.  At Three Rivers Fun, 45% more thrill seekers combined a sky-diving trip with a raft trip on the Penobscot.  Scenic float plane rides at Moxie Outdoor Adventures were up 20% and were especially popular with families.  North Country Rivers reports that ATV business has shown steady growth and now exceeds its snowmobile revenues.   
	
Raft Maine president Jim Murton credits the good season to a renewed commitment by Raft Maine member outfitters to joint marketing and co-operative efforts with the Maine Office of Tourism, Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, Maine Tourism Association and Maine&#039;s hospitality businesses and trade associations.
	
Says Murton, &quot;We conducted an on-demand direct mail program, participated in travel trade shows and maximized our web referrals through reciprocal links to state web sites.  An Associated Press story about family rafting published everywhere from the Boston Herald to the Miami Herald to usatoday.com gave us a big boost.  We have the Maine Office of Tourism&#039;s public relations efforts to thank for that.&quot;
	
Managing Director, Wende Gray, believes the increase in business is attributable to Raft Maine&#039;s Travel Partners program.  &quot;This year we had over 150 inns, campgrounds, restaurants, and chamber information centers who displayed our brochures, posted a weekly whitewater report and had reciprocal internet links.  It&#039;s great to have that many salespeople out there talking about rafting to their guests,&quot; says Gray.
	
Gray reports that inquiries to Raft Maine were up 17% this season and requests for the 2008 season are especially strong from international travelers.
	
Official rafting industry passenger numbers will be available from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in early January 2008.

Raft Maine is a trade association of seven of Maine&#039;s professional white water outfitters.  Raft Maine maintains a website at <a href="http://www.raftmaine.com" onclick="linkClick( this.href );"  target="_blank">www.raftmaine.com</a> and a one-call reservation service at 800-RAFT-MEE  (800-723-8633).

###]]></itunes:summary>

                        <itunes:category text="Business" /><itunes:category text="Business">
        <itunes:category text=" Management &amp; Marketing" />
          </itunes:category><itunes:category text="Sports &amp; Recreation" /><itunes:category text="Sports &amp; Recreation">
        <itunes:category text=" Outdoor" />
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                        <itunes:duration>00:15:00</itunes:duration>
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                        <title>Maine Rafting Turns 30 - Experiencing Rapid Growth </title>
                        <link>http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/4/prweb373123.htm</link>
                        <comments>http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/4/prweb373123.htm</comments>
                        <description>Maine rafting, a recreation for risk takers in 1976 has grown into a popular activity for youth, families and seniors. Outfitters offer a variety of accommodations and outdoor adventures trips like rock climbing, moose safaris, canoeing, kayaking and wildlife photography. [PRWeb Apr 22, 2006]</description>
                        <guid>http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/4/prweb373123.htm</guid>
                        <pubDate>Mon, 24 Apr 2006 11:48:35 -0700</pubDate>
                        <author>podcrew@extrahoop.com</author>
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                        <content:encoded><![CDATA[(PRWEB) April 19, 2006 -- In 1976, six hundred brave souls rafted the whitewater rapids of the upper Kennebec River to its confluence with the Dead River. Two hundred years earlier in 1775, another group of intrepid warriors under the leadership of Benedict Arnold, branched off the Kennebec and paddled up the Dead River in a fateful attempt to capture Quebec.  The two parties had something in common.  They were both primarily adult young men venturing into the unknown on an expedition that could not be characterized as enjoyable.


    
Thirty years after the first rafters descended the Kennebec Gorge, the demographics and the experience have changed.
    
Adventure travel has shown explosive growth over the past decade.  The Travel Industry Association reports that American travelers want their vacations to be more thrilling. They are looking for new ways to challenge themselves, to push their physical energies to the edge and face nature at its boldest moments.  At the same time, travelers want a wilderness experience on comfortable terms with the lodging and dining values of urban America.
    
Technological improvements in equipment and operations, the development of a lodging and dining infrastructure and the creation of varied outdoor adventure programs have resulted in a rafting industry that annually hosts over 75, 000 rafters and an equal number of visitors participating in year-round outdoor recreational activities.
    
Self-bailing rafts, Type V personal flotation devices and high-tech fabric wet suits and spray jackets are all standards in the industry.  Maine&#8217;s whitewater boating regulations, administered by the state&#8217;s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, are some of the strictest in the nation. The number of rafters is limited daily to protect the environmental quality of the wilderness rivers.
    
In 1976 the only option was primitive camping with a meal cooked over the open fire. Since 2000, outfitters have invested in excess of 5.5 million dollars in their resort facilities. Outfitters offer modern cabins and cottages with full kitchens, lodge rooms with private baths, suites with in-room Jacuzzis and primitive camping has been upgraded to platform tents with cots and bedding. Resort facilities include full service restaurants, pubs, hot tubs, outdoor pools, saunas, volleyball courts and climbing walls. One outfitter is home to a micro-brewery.
    
Outfitters offer river trips for youngsters to seniors.  A full river trip includes Class III-V rapids, a lower river trip Class II rapids, and a float trip gentle current.  No paddling is necessary on a row-frame trip as the guide does all the rowing. Guided outdoor activities include kayaking (inflatable, whitewater and lake), canoeing, hiking, fishing, rock climbing, ropes courses, moose and wildlife watching, bird watching, 12 person canoe trips, ATV tours, pontoon boat trips, paint ball, float plane trips and sky-diving.  In the fall and winter, outdoor activities include hunting, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and snow-shoeing. Resorts offer group programs for youth, corporate training, bachelor and bachelorette parties and weddings.
    
Adventure resort guests range in age from 7 to 75, are split evenly between male and female and include families, empty-nesters and groups. Maine&#8217;s rafting market is global. Last season, vacationers from the United Kingdom, France Germany, Spain, Israel and Korea rafted Maine&#8217;s rivers.
    
Maine&#8217;s rafting industry has become a vital component of the state&#8217;s tourism industry.  Whitewater rafting is the sixth most requested outdoor activity of those planning trips to Maine, behind... To read the press release in full goto http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/4/prweb373123.htm]]></content:encoded>
                        <itunes:author>Wende Gray</itunes:author>
                        <itunes:subtitle>Maine Rafting Turns 30 - Experiencing Rapid Growth </itunes:subtitle>
                        <itunes:summary><![CDATA[(PRWEB) April 19, 2006 -- In 1976, six hundred brave souls rafted the whitewater rapids of the upper Kennebec River to its confluence with the Dead River. Two hundred years earlier in 1775, another group of intrepid warriors under the leadership of Benedict Arnold, branched off the Kennebec and paddled up the Dead River in a fateful attempt to capture Quebec.  The two parties had something in common.  They were both primarily adult young men venturing into the unknown on an expedition that could not be characterized as enjoyable.


    
Thirty years after the first rafters descended the Kennebec Gorge, the demographics and the experience have changed.
    
Adventure travel has shown explosive growth over the past decade.  The Travel Industry Association reports that American travelers want their vacations to be more thrilling. They are looking for new ways to challenge themselves, to push their physical energies to the edge and face nature at its boldest moments.  At the same time, travelers want a wilderness experience on comfortable terms with the lodging and dining values of urban America.
    
Technological improvements in equipment and operations, the development of a lodging and dining infrastructure and the creation of varied outdoor adventure programs have resulted in a rafting industry that annually hosts over 75, 000 rafters and an equal number of visitors participating in year-round outdoor recreational activities.
    
Self-bailing rafts, Type V personal flotation devices and high-tech fabric wet suits and spray jackets are all standards in the industry.  Maine&#8217;s whitewater boating regulations, administered by the state&#8217;s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, are some of the strictest in the nation. The number of rafters is limited daily to protect the environmental quality of the wilderness rivers.
    
In 1976 the only option was primitive camping with a meal cooked over the open fire. Since 2000, outfitters have invested in excess of 5.5 million dollars in their resort facilities. Outfitters offer modern cabins and cottages with full kitchens, lodge rooms with private baths, suites with in-room Jacuzzis and primitive camping has been upgraded to platform tents with cots and bedding. Resort facilities include full service restaurants, pubs, hot tubs, outdoor pools, saunas, volleyball courts and climbing walls. One outfitter is home to a micro-brewery.
    
Outfitters offer river trips for youngsters to seniors.  A full river trip includes Class III-V rapids, a lower river trip Class II rapids, and a float trip gentle current.  No paddling is necessary on a row-frame trip as the guide does all the rowing. Guided outdoor activities include kayaking (inflatable, whitewater and lake), canoeing, hiking, fishing, rock climbing, ropes courses, moose and wildlife watching, bird watching, 12 person canoe trips, ATV tours, pontoon boat trips, paint ball, float plane trips and sky-diving.  In the fall and winter, outdoor activities include hunting, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and snow-shoeing. Resorts offer group programs for youth, corporate training, bachelor and bachelorette parties and weddings.
    
Adventure resort guests range in age from 7 to 75, are split evenly between male and female and include families, empty-nesters and groups. Maine&#8217;s rafting market is global. Last season, vacationers from the United Kingdom, France Germany, Spain, Israel and Korea rafted Maine&#8217;s rivers.
    
Maine&#8217;s rafting industry has become a vital component of the state&#8217;s tourism industry.  Whitewater rafting is the sixth most requested outdoor activity of those planning trips to Maine, behind... To read the press release in full goto http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/4/prweb373123.htm]]></itunes:summary>

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