PORTLAND (AP) – Maine’s travel and tourism industry, which provides work for more than 176,000 Mainers, showed virtually no growth last year and remained stuck at the same level as in 2000, a recent study has found.

Day trips were flat and overnight trips slipped by 1 percent for the second year in a row, according to the annual study conducted for the Maine Office of Tourism by Longwoods International of Toronto.

Spending by travelers barely budged, rising 1 percent to around $6.2 billion.

In terms of quality ratings by recent overnight visitors, Maine got above-average recognition for being a family-oriented, worry-free destination, with an emphasis on outdoor activities. But its scores were lower for entertainment, especially nightlife.

In terms of specifics, visitors gave Maine high marks as a place for activities such as skiing, rafting, kayaking, canoeing and hiking. But the state fared less well in after-dark things to do, with some visitors finding it deficient in casinos, nighttime entertainment and live music.

Smaller percentages think Maine doesn’t have good hotels, museums and theater.

The most popular activities and experiences for overnight visitors included: visiting small towns/villages, 64 percent; beach/ocean, 59 percent; eating a lobster, 43 percent; wilderness areas, 39 percent. One deviation from the outdoors theme is shopping for gifts and souvenirs, 44 percent.

The findings come as no surprise and don’t suggest that Maine should try to change its image, said Rudy Nardelli, account strategist at the Maine office of Warren Kremer Paino, the agency that produces the state’s tourism advertising campaign.

“When you pick a destination,” Nardelli said, “you don’t pick comparability. You pick uniqueness. And you don’t go to Maine for museums. To overemphasize that is wasting your ad dollars.”

Nardelli said deficiencies cited for casinos and nightlife/shows are not a big cause for concern. Maine draws most of its visitors from the Northeast, he said, and those tourists don’t have such expectations of Maine.

Every destination faces two challenges, according to Tom Curtis, senior vice president at Longwoods – developing a product and marketing it.

Maine already has a good product in its outdoors attractions and rural character, Curtis says. The challenge is getting the word out to a broader audience, especially first-time visitors who are likely to return.

Unlike Nardelli, however, Curtis suggests Maine should do more to advertise outside the Northeast. He does agree that there’s little value in promoting Maine as an entertainment destination.

“If people in New York want nightlife, why would they leave New York?” he said.