Sunny skies and hot temperatures in Old Orchard Beach early this week had business owners and workers there hoping for a turnaround of what they say has been a gloomy summer tourist season so far.

"The weather pattern is really what's killing everything," said Jeanne LaChance, who owns JJ's Eatery downtown and serves as president of the town's Bar and Restaurant Association. "This whole beach is weather-related."

Rainfall in southern Maine exceeded 6 inches in June - about double the historical average - and July has also seen twice as much rain as normal. Across the Northeast, an unusually cool summer has rarely given way to typically hot days. Such bad summer weather is felt particularly hard by Mainers who depend on the $13 billion tourism trade that peaks during the warmer season, said Pat Eltman, director of the state tourism office.

"It's the economic engine that fuels the state economy," Eltman said. "It's the No. 1 industry."

About 175,000 jobs hinge on tourism statewide, according to the director. Eltman's office does not track local employment figures, but its surveys have consistently shown that no other attraction in the state compares with York County's sandy beaches.

"The beach area is the No. 1 reason people come to Maine," said Eltman.

Matt Dalmar, who works at Tate's Crafts on Old Orchard Street, said the economy, the weather and a new requirement for passports to be shown at the Canadian border are to blame for slow business.

"I don't think it will (ever) be worse than this year," said Dalmar. "Everybody's just trying to break even."

LaChance cited the same factors as Dalmar, calling it a "triple whammy." Last year's weather was no picnic, either, she said, but this year has been worse.

"Last year we thought was bad because we had three weeks of rain in July," LaChance said. "A lot of cancellations have happened this year because of the weather and the economy."

"I think the general sense is that it's down because of the weather," said Assistant Town Manager Louise Reid. "People from Massachusetts, they decide on Wednesday night or Thursday when they check the weather."

"It definitely has had an impact," said Missy Shupe, owner of Board Silly, which sells puzzles, toys and games on Old Orchard Street.

Dennis Hincks, who works at the Mad Hatter tattoo shop next door, said inclement weather has "put a dent" in the number of people seeking his services.

His associate, Tom Dube, was even blunter.

"This is the worst summer," he said. "(In) 20 years, this is the worst summer."

Eltman said her office does not yet have data to measure how the season is going in Maine, but anecdotal reports suggest that lodging revenues are down, while museums are doing fine. State tourism officials were well aware of the recession going into the summer, so they focused advertising efforts in places like Massachusetts and New York City to attract the same daytrippers and weekenders that LaChance and Reid speak of.

"Our advertising is much more targeted this year," said Eltman.

Bud Harmon, executive director of the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce, said June lodging revenues were down in Maine about 15 percent compared with last year, which he saw as a fairly strong season. The hotel/motel numbers, explained Greg Dugal, Maine Innkeepers Association executive director, are compiled by Smith Travel Research, a national consultant.

"You can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on marketing, but if you don't have a clean beach and good weather, it's pretty much in vain," said Harmon.

Still, Harmon said, he expects things to pick up. A major influx of tourists from Quebec and New Brunswick has become visible in the past week, and businesses are reporting that a lot of visitors are making last-minute decisions to come to the area. He predicts the lodging receipts will be off by no more than 10 percent by season's end.

"I don't pay much attention to street talk until the end of the summer when you can look at hard numbers," said Harmon.

The new border law went into effect on June 1 under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which resulted from the federal Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Travelers from the U.S. and Canada must now show proof of citizenship when making a crossing.

While lodging, restaurant and retail businesses have suffered from some combination of causes, parking receipts from the town's lots and meters have been similar to last year, reported Old Orchard Beach Finance Director Jill Eastman. The town took in $33,617 for parking in June of 2008, versus $33,235 last month. Figures through July 19 looked to be in line with July of last year.

The parking receipts show that people have continued to visit the beach, even if their spending patterns and the type of trips they have taken changed. LaChance said one example of this year's pattern, reported by motel workers, is that people are preparing their own food instead of dining out.

Many people, including the Palace Playland amusement park's business manager Fred Golder, remained optimistic - a feeling made easier by this week's pleasant conditions - and said those in the tourism industry cannot let downswings dissuade them.

"We're in this for the long haul," Golder said. "One or two bad years isn't going to kill us. Next year's going to be a great year, so we always have that positive attitude."

"If it stayed like this through the end of the August and the beginning of September, it would be a wonderful thing," said LaChance. "I plan on hanging in here."

"Just give us 30 days of sun," Golder said.