BY MATT WICKENHEISER

MaineToday Media, Inc.

During a typical summer, Gene Schuper might travel to California or Colorado to visit friends.

But with average gas prices above $3.80 nationwide, food costs on the rise and the economy sputtering, this summer will not be typical.

"I'll probably stay in Maine, go up north," said Schuper. He might get some fly fishing in with a friend who's getting his guide license. "I don't really want to go out of state."

The state hopes many Mainers emulate Schuper's plans.

The Maine Office of Tourism will launch an ad campaign "to encourage Mainers to look in their own backyards," said Pat Eltman, the state's tourism director. The campaign begins in late June and will run for six weeks.

The industry calls this kind of tourism a "staycation."

"We just want to remind people in Maine how lucky they are to live where they are," said Eltman. "We have great state parks, great beaches, so much to do."

The plan includes TV and radio ads, as well as three inserts in the statewide newspapers, said Eltman. While Memorial Day weekend represents a soft opening for tourism, the June-July-August stretch is primetime.

So far, Eltman said, anecdotal evidence from those in the tourism trade suggests that this summer will be at least as strong as last, and maybe even up a bit. Gas prices might encourage regional travel, as people from Massachusetts stay closer to home. The weak dollar plays a role, attracting Canadians to come and spend their comparatively strong currency.

And Americans do value their vacations, despite doom-and-gloom headlines.

So why try to push Vacationland as Staycationland?

Call it a hedge against possible petroleum party-pooping.

"Historically, we haven't been hurt by higher fuel prices. We're such a drive-to destination, we're usually not harmed," said Eltman. "But they've never been this high. É It's a safety net - we wanted our own people to think about traveling in Maine."

Tourism is Maine's single largest employment sector. In 2006, the most recent year for which data is available, it generated $10.06 billion in sales, 140,000 jobs and $429 million in taxes. Ironically, those numbers don't fully capture in-state tourism, after the State Planning Office made a controversial change that doesn't count Mainers' day trips.

Tom Bayley, general manager at Bayley's Camping Resort in Scarborough, said the population of Mainers camping at his sites has doubled in the last two years. Last weekend, Bayley's held a special discount weekend, and 65 percent of the campers were from Maine.

"A lot of people don't realize so close to home, they can come here and have a nice vacation and only be an hour away," said Bayley.

Summer's looking good for the business, said Bayley. The campground's reservations are three weeks ahead of last year, he said. Since last season, Bayley's has added an extra bus, so now two will transport campers to and from attractions like Old Orchard Beach. The campground expanded from 500 sites to 775, added another playground and renovated the restrooms.

Bayley said he welcomed the state's efforts to market Maine to Mainers.

"It's a good thing the state's pushing -- that's the only thing we've got left, tourism," said Bayley.

Jean Ginn Marvin, innkeeper at The Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, said she's gearing up for a big season.

"We're finding that our advanced bookings are tremendous and we're thrilled about it," said Ginn Marvin. "We think that because of the gas pumps, maybe people aren't going to Boothbay or Bar Harbor, they're just coming to Kennebunkport."

Gin Marvin said they're also seeing a lot of reservations from Canadians and Europeans, a sign of the strength of foreign currency as compared to the U.S. dollar.

She said it's too early in the season to tell if more Mainers will be her guests this summer. But the idea makes sense. "I wouldn't be surprised," she said. "I think many people are saying 'Why not take my vacation in Vacationland? I'm right here É' " Greg Dugal, executive director of the Maine Innkeepers Association, said there's only anecdotal evidence that more Mainers may vacation here. Most of his members are experiencing "great advance reservations," he said, which is a positive sign.

"For all intents and purposes, most everyone's looking at an up season," said Dugal.

The reservations are coming from the region: as far away as New Jersey and New York. There's not as many as usual from the general Ohio-Pennsylvania-Washington, D.C. area, he said. When visitors are coming from those areas, they're coming six to a van, or four in a car, he said - a likely attempt to save on gas.

That's similar to what Richard Abare, executive director of the Maine Campground Owners Association, is hearing from his members. People are watching their dollars, he said, but that's not keeping them from vacationing.

"The general consensus of what I'm hearing from across the state is more Mainers are staying in Maine and it's shorter trips. People are staying closer to home - within one, at the maximum, two hours from home is the farthest they're going."

John Sczymecki and Vicki Normandin of Biddeford represent that trend. This weekend they're camping at Sebago Lake State Park instead of heading up to Scraggly Lake, north of Baxter State Park.

Last year, he said, they visited a camp outside Machias and drove into Canada, spending about $350 in gas for their Dodge V8 pickup. He just hit a new record with the truck, said Sczymecki -- a $125 fill-up. Those types of numbers have to be figured into vacation plans, even in-state, said Sczymecki.

"You think about it more," he said.